Paul Mooney is an associate in Dykema’s Lansing office. He focuses his practice on government policy.

Paul began his career as an Assistant Tribal Attorney with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, a federally recognized Indian tribe. Mr. Mooney performed traditional in-house duties for the Tribe, primarily advising the Tribe’s commercial enterprises. He assisted the Tribe in receiving an internet gaming and sports betting license to partner with Golden Nugget Online Gaming. He also advised and assisted the Tribe to engage in Michigan’s medical and adult-use marijuana industry.  Mr. Mooney was also an Associate General Counsel with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan. As an Associate General Counsel, Mr. Mooney prepared fee-to-trust applications for the Tribe and advised on other land use issues in Indian Country. He also represented the Tribe in discussions with the State of Michigan regarding marijuana compacting.

Mr. Mooney graduated magna cum laude from Michigan State University College of Law, where he was awarded a full-tuition academic merit scholarship. Mr. Mooney also received a certificate in Indigenous Law from the Indigenous Law and Policy Center. Mr. Mooney served as an Associate Editor of the Michigan State Law Review. He received jurisprudence awards for the highest grade in the class for Federal Jurisdiction and American Indian Children and the Law. While in school, he externed for a semester with the National Indian Gaming Commission in Washington D.C., and he participated in the Indian Law Clinic. He was also a law clerk at Dykema, and he was an intern with the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and The Public Interest Network.

Before attending law school, Mr. Mooney served as Deputy Campaign Manager on a State House race in Michigan and was an Organizer with Environment Colorado. He attended Michigan State University and dual majored in Economics and Public Policy.

Bar Admissions

Michigan, 2019

Education
Michigan State University College of Law, magna cum laude, J.D., 2018 Michigan State University, B.A., 2013

• Public Administration and Public Policy
• Economics