A federal court judge who ruled for tribes in key trust mismanagement cases has been elevated by President Barack Obama.

Emily C. Hewitt will serve as chief judge of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. Her new designation does not require Senate confirmation.

Hewitt set precedents in cases involving the Osage Nation of Oklahoma, the Eastern Shoshone Tribe of Wyoming, the Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming and four Ojibwe tribes. from Wisconsin. She rejected efforts by the Bush administration to limit the federal government's liabilities and trust responsibilities.

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