Practice Areas

Federal Indian,
and Tribal Law

Complex Civil Litigation

Economic Consulting
and Expertise

Recent Awards, Certificates, and Associations:
» Top 40 Under 40, National Trial Lawyer, 2024
» BestLawyers: Ones to Watch, 2024
» National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA), State President 2024
» National Association of Forensic Economists, Member 2023
» Certified American Indian Law, University of Oklahoma, 2017

As a seventh-generation descendant of the Cheyenne (Black Kettle’s camp) that survived the Sand Creek Massacre, Austin’s journey into Indian law began long before he was appointed the Civil Trial Judge for his family’s tribe—the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma.

After competing as an All-American Collegiate Debater and earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics from the University of Central Oklahoma, Austin received his Juris Doctorate with Distinction and a certificate in American Indian Law from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. At OU Law, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the American Indian Law Review, joined the Order of the Barristers, and earned the American Jurisprudence Award in Federal Indian Law, Native American Natural Resources, and Wind Law.

After graduation, he became the youngest adjunct professor at OU Law, teaching Indian law courses at the age of twenty-six (26), while also working full-time as a Gallogly Family Foundation Fellow at Oklahoma Indian Legal Services, Inc. Austin then joined the prestigious law firm Whitten Burrage in January 2019, working closely with Michael Burrage—the first enrolled Native American appointed to the federal bench—and J. Renley Dennis on Federal Indian Law and Complex Civil Litigation. As part of the firm’s Indian law group, he regularly assisted the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Chickasaw Nation, Quapaw Nation, and other federally recognized tribes with litigation and general counsel services.

Working with Judge Burrage led Austin to develop a wide-ranging legal practice encompassing wrongful denial of insurance claims, trespassing oil and gas pipelines, oil and gas storage tank explosions, race-based harassment claims, civil rights abuses, intentional infliction of emotional distress, business disputes, business embezzlement and fraud, medical malpractice, child abuse, fiduciary duties, and wrongful death. Some of his noteworthy projects at Whitten Burrage included developing a damage model for trespassing pipelines on tribal lands, defending the Hamm Family and Continental Resources in litigation, and advising the University of Oklahoma on its transition to the Southeastern Conference.

Since founding All Rise! in 2024 Austin remains committed to advancing tribal economic development and sovereignty of Nations and Tribes across Indian Country. In 2025, Austin continues to provide leadership and legal expertise through several judicial and governmental appointments, including as Supreme Court Justice for the Wyandotte Nation, Attorney General for the Pawnee Nation, General Counsel to the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, and Legislative Counsel to the Chickasaw Nation, as well as serving as the Executive Director. He was also named a Top 40 Under 40 Trial Lawyer for 2025 by Best Lawyers.

In addition to his other qualifications, as a member of the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) and the National Association of Forensic Economists (NAFE), Austin is also qualified as a litigation/forensic economist. In that capacity, Austin can provide opinions on value in litigation, whether it’s the value of a family business in a divorce or a question of damages for a jury. Even outside of serving as litigation counsel, Austin is available to assist with mediation, negotiations, and/or provide expert damage testimony and consultations.