Nicholas J. Mazanec
Chief Judge
Nicholas J. Mazanec brings almost twenty years of experience in the field of Indian law, most of which has been serving tribes throughout California. He has spent his legal career advising and representing tribes and individuals on issues of sovereignty, tribal justice systems, Indian child welfare, domestic violence, and environmental and cultural resource protection. He is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the National American Indian Court Judges Association, the California Tribal Court Judges Association, the California Tribal Court State Court Forum, and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
-
Judge Mazanec is admitted to practice law in California, Massachusetts, numerous tribal courts.
-
Judge Mazanec earned a Juris Doctor degree from Northeastern University School of Law in Boston in 2004. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Linguistics and Anthropology in 2000. He is a certified information privacy professional (CIPP/US) and is one of approximately 300 Appellate Specialists certified by the State Bar of California.
-
Along with serving as the Chief Judge for the Trinidad Rancheria Tribal Court, Judge Mazanec serves as a pro tem judge for the Intertribal Court of Southern California, and an Appellate Justice for the Wilton Rancheria, Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, and the member tribes of the Northern California Tribal Court Coalition.
Through his work at his own law firm, Judge Mazanec represents individuals and tribes in state, federal, and tribal court systems. Additionally, he is the director of the Shingle Springs Tribal Court Self Help Center.
Judge Mazanec was previously the Directing Attorney of the Sacramento Office of California Indian Legal Services. Additionally, he worked as an attorney with the Tribal Justice Project at UC Davis School of Law in supervising law students and working with tribes to develop their court systems.
