William Rastetter

Of counsel to the firm, Bill has more than 30 years of experience in federal litigation, Indian law, and civil rights law. He spent two years as Litigation Director with Michigan Indian Legal Services, and has served as outside counsel for the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians since 1982. Bill received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University and was an honors graduate of Indiana University School of Law at Bloomington.

Bill clerked for Judge Wilbur F. Pell, Jr., United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Chicago, Illinois. Later, he was named a Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellow, and served as Litigation Director of the Legal Services Program in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he successfully litigated several landmark civil rights cases.

Bill is a member of the Indiana and Michigan Bars, and is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Sixth and Seventh Circuits, and all United States District Courts in Indiana and Michigan.

E-mail: rat@envlaw.com

Admissions to Practice

• Member of the Michigan (1976) and Indiana (1971, currently inactive) Bars
  
  
• United States Supreme Court
  
  
• United States Courts of Appeals for the Sixth and Seventh Circuits
  
  
• All United States District Courts in Indiana and Michigan

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Judicial Clerkship

• June, 1970, through August, 1971:
  Law clerk for Judge Wilbur F. Pell, Jr.,
  United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit,
  Chicago, Illinois

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Fellowship

• September, 1971, through July, 1973:
  Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellow
  assigned to the Legal Services Program in Fort Wayne, Indiana

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Federal and State Court Litigation Experience

• Litigation Director, Legal Services Program of Fort Wayne Indiana
  (1972-1973)
  
  
• Litigation Director, Michigan Indian Legal Services
  (1980-1982)

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Reported Cases

• Campaign for Family Farms v Veneman
  229 F Supp 2d 772 (WD Mich); affirmed 348 F3d 157 (6th Cir 2003), vacated and remanded, 125 S Ct 2511
  (2005).
  
  
• United States, et al. v. Michigan, et al.
  (W.D. Mich. File No. 2:73-CV-26 [M 26-73]): [See decisions reported at 471 F.Supp. 192 (1979), aff'd. 653 F.2d 277 (6th Cir. 1981), cert. denied 454 U.S. 1124, 102 S.Ct. 971 (1981); see also 712 F.2d 242 (6th Cir. 1983), 623 F.2d 448 (6th Cir. 1980), 534 F. Supp. 668 (1982), 520 F. Supp. (1981), 508 F.Supp. 480 (1980), 505 F.Supp. 467 (1980), 115 F.R.D. 621 (1987), 89 F.R.D. 307 (1979), and 12 ILR 3079 (1985)
  
  
• Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians v. U.S. Attorney for the Westerm District of Michigan, et al.
  (W.D. Mich. File No. 1:96-CV-466): See 198 F.Supp.2d 920 (W.D. Mich. 2002), and 46 F.Supp.2d 689 (W.D. Mich. 1999)
  
  
• Little Travese Bay Bands of Odwawa Indians, et al v. Great Spring Waters of America, Inc.
  (W.D. Mich. File No. 1:02-CV-127): See 203 F.Supp.2d 853 (W.D. Mich. 2002)
  
  
• Michigan Pork Producers Ass'n., Inc. v. Campaign for Family Farms (W.D. Mich. File No. 1:01 CV-34): See 174 F.Supp.2d 637 (W.D. Mich. 2001), aff'd 348 F.3d 157 (6th Cir. 2003)
  
  
• Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians v. Director, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, et al.
  (W.D. Mich. File No. 1:94-CV-707): [See decisions reported at 971 F.Supp. 282 (1995), aff'd. 141 F.3d 635 (6th Cir. 1998), cert. denied 454 U.S. 1124, 102 S.Ct. 971 (1998).]
  
  
• Friends of the Crystal River, et al v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, et al.
  (W.D. Mich. File No. 1:92:CV:325): See 794 F.Supp. 674 (W.D. Mich. 1992), aff'd. 35 F.3d 1073 (6th Cir. 1994)
  
  
• Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, et al. v. Engler
  (W.D. Mich. File No. 1:90-CV-611): See 93 F.Supp.2d 850 (W.D. Mich. 2000); 800 F.Supp. 1484 (W.D. Mich. 1992), aff'd 5 F.3d 147 (6th Cir. 1993); see also 146 F.3d 367 (6th Cir. 1998)
  
  
• Keewanaw Bay Indian Community v. State of Mich.
  152 F.R.D. 56 (W.D. Mich. 1992)
  
  
• In re Adams
  133 B.R. 191 (W.D. Mich. 1991)
  
  
• United States v. Bay Mills Indian Community, et al.
  (W.D. Mich. File No. M 85-335): See 692 F. Supp. 777 (W.D. Mich. 1988), vacated 727 F. Supp. 1110 (W.D. Mich. 1989)
  
  
• Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians v. Bureau of Indian Affairs, et al.
  (W.D. Mich. File No. G 85-382)
  
  
• U.S. v. Dakota
  666 F.Supp. 989 (W.D. Mich. 1985)
  
  
• Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians v. Leelanau County and Leelanau Indians, Inc.
  (W.D. Mich. File No. G 83-834)
  
  
• People v. Hubbard
  115 Mich. App. 73, 320 N.W. 2d 294 (Mich. App. 1982)
  
  
• Leelanau Indians, Inc. and Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians v. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
  (W.D. Mich. File No. G 80-526): 502 F.Supp. 741 (W.D. Mich. 1980)
  
  
• Local 1903 (UAW), et al. v. Bear Archery, et al.
  (1976-1980): See 617 F.2d 157 (6th Cir. 1980)
  
  
• Liuzzo v. Federal Bureau of Investigation
  (1977-1980): See 485 F. Supp. 1274 (E.D. Mich. 1980)
  
  
• Organic Growers of Michigan, et al. v. Michigan Department of Agriculture
  (1978-1979)
  
  
• Oscoda Chapter of PBB Action Committee v. Michigan Department of Natural Resources
  403 Mich. 215, 268 N.W. 2d 240 (1978)
  
  
• Williams v. Andrus, et al.
  (1978)
  
  
• Webster, et al. v. Bechtel
  (1977)
  
  
• Communist Party of Indiana v. Whitcomb
  414 U.S. 441, 94 S.Ct. 656, 38 L.Ed. 2d 635 (1974)
  
  
• Green v. Stanton
  451 F.Supp. 567 (N.D. Ind. 1978), and 364 F. Supp. 123 (N.D. Ind. 1973)
  
  
• Barkley v. Warner
  409 F.Supp. 1303 (E.D. Mich. 1976)
  
  
• Franks v. Johnson
  401 F.Supp. 669 (E.D. Mich. 1975)
  
  
• Mothers & Childrens Rights Organization, Inc. v. Stanton
  371 F.Supp. 298 (N.D. Ind. 1973)
  
  
• U.S. ex rel. Iverson v. Rhodes
  465 F.2d 402 (7th Cir. 1972)
  

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