Joseph K. Austin, Esq.
Managing Attorney & Owner
"The Wolf of Indian Country"
Dedicated Navajo attorney, committed to championing justice and empowering the Navajo Nation.
Contact Info
We’re eager to hear from you. Whether you need legal representation, consultation, or simply have a question about tribal law or our services, don’t hesitate to reach out. Your path to justice and empowerment begins with a simple conversation.
For two generations, the Austin name has served the Navajo Nation, shaping the law, delivering sound legal advice, and tirelessly representing Navajo people. Our experience spans across multiple legal disciplines, civil and criminal, reflecting our commitment to justice and the rule of law. Your trust propels our enduring dedication.
BIO
Mr. Austin is a member of the Navajo Nation from the Chilchinbeto Chapter area of the Navajo Reservation. He is licensed to practice in the State of New Mexico and Navajo Nation. He has a supporting and loving wife named Sara Austin who gives him purpose and drive to keep doing what he does and more. His father, Raymond Austin, was one of the founding members of the Navajo Nation Supreme Court and a world-recognized expert in indigenous common law and jurisprudence. His mother, Diane Austin, is a member of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe and a lifelong educator. Like his parents before him, Mr. Austin is well educated as he holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management from the University of Arizona, Eller College of Management. His educational journey continued next door to his business school at the University of Arizona’s College of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor along with a certificate in Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy. He also holds a Master of Laws degree in International Economic Law & Policy with an emphasis in international trade.
After graduating from law school, Mr. Austin began his legal career as a civil litigator in tribal jurisdictions such as the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe and Navajo Nation, working in the fields of estate planning, Indian gaming, and criminal defense. Later on, he served as a deputy prosecutor for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe which is renowned for prosecuting the first domestic violence criminal case against a non-Native under tribal law and pursuant to the Violence Against Women Act of 2013. After serving as a prosecutor, Mr. Austin went into private practice and opened up The Law Office of Joseph Austin, Esq. on the Navajo Nation. Over the years, Mr. Austin and his legal team have practiced in the areas of family law, employment law, criminal defense, corporate law, probate law, estate planning, leasing, contract law, and more.
Mr. Austin and his legal team have handled cases and matters, on the trial level and appellate level, involving:
Divorce
Child custody
Child support
Contempt of court
Order to show cause
Forcible entry and detainer
Repossession
Indian Child Welfare Act
Probate
Domestic violence
Protection orders
Guardianship
Child welfare
Wrongful termination
Wills and powers of attorney
Transferring homesite leases
Transferring grazing permits
Transferring land use permits
Land disputes
Registering businesses
Advising on taxation and settling tax issues
Obtaining priority certification for businesses in procurement
Navajo Preference in Employment Act
Navajo Business Opportunity Act
Breach of contract
Trademark registration
Online privacy policies
Negotiating settlements
Negotiating contracts with the Navajo Nation
Extraordinary writs
Appeals
In addition to his vast experience, Mr. Austin served as an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals for the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC). During his time on the bench, he issued orders and wrote opinions that helped shape the rule of law for the SRPMIC.
Outside of his legal practice, Mr. Austin also co-founded a nonprofit organization called Austin, Crepelle & Ernest Sickey’s School for Wards and Domestic Dependent Nations (“The ACES School”). He has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the organization since its inception. Under his leadership, The ACES School has garnered a number of grants, increased its operating budget, and undertaken a number of projects geared toward educating indigenous peoples and nations on economic development, federal Indian law, tribal law, business law, and international trade law. Through The ACES School, Mr. Austin and his partner Adam Crepelle created the annual conference “All Roads Lead to Chaco Canyon,” which was the first conference to propose international trade among Native Nations and the world as a form of economic development. Mr. Austin has also been featured as a guest speaker at numerous law schools, conferences, and bar association events.
Besides running a law office and a nonprofit, Mr. Austin is an automotive enthusiast and weekend mechanic. He enjoys building cars, racing cars, and working on any mechanical vehicle that moves. He also enjoys having date nights with his wife where they play pool and tabletop shuffleboard, watch movies, and/or go country dancing. He and his wife also like to take their mountain bikes on the desert trails of Arizona, and experience new restaurants. They currently maintain a residence in Tucson, Arizona where Mr. Austin has a home office, and they also have a home at the base of Black Mesa near Chilchinbeto where the Austin family has its roots.
“The Rule of Law can be used in a number of ways. It can prevent crime and punish it. It can govern how you transact and hold you to promises that you made. It can bind a couple in holy matrimony and sever relationships. It can determine custody and give restitution to the injured. It can give justice to victims of crimes. It can build nations and destroy them. It is the foundation of our life and every institution. It is man made, God made, and fundamental in the sense that it transcends space and time. So being a lawyer comes with great responsibility because a lawyer can harness, use, argue, and apply the law through logic and reason, a skill that could only be learned through rigorous training and academia. As lawyers, we must respect the rule of law, abide by it, uphold it, and always know that nobody is above it.”
Education
Joseph Austin is an accomplished attorney with an comprehensive academic background in business administration, Indigenous law, and international economic policy.
University of Arizona, Eller College of Management
University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law