Arvo Mikkanen facts for kids

Arvo Quoetone Mikkanen (born in April 1961) is a lawyer who works for the U.S. government as an Assistant United States Attorney. In this role, he helps prosecute people who have broken federal laws in the Western District of Oklahoma.

Throughout his long career, Mikkanen has been a judge, a law professor, and a lawyer in private practice. He is a member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma and also has Comanche and Finnish ancestors. He often teaches others about federal law and legal issues related to Native American tribes.

Early Life and Education

Arvo Mikkanen was born in Denver, Colorado. He is an enrolled member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma.

He was an excellent student. In 1983, he graduated from Dartmouth College with high honors, known as magna cum laude. He was also invited to join Phi Beta Kappa, a special group for top students. For his achievements, he won several awards at Dartmouth.

In 1986, Mikkanen earned his law degree, a J.D., from the famous Yale Law School. After graduating, he worked as a law clerk. A law clerk helps a judge with research and writing. He clerked for Judge Lawrence S. Margolis and later for Judge Robert M. Parker in Texas.

Career in Law

Working for the Government

Since 1994, Mikkanen has been a federal prosecutor. This means he represents the United States government in court. He has worked on many different kinds of cases, including violent crimes and other serious offenses. He has been the main lawyer in over 750 cases in federal court.

Private Law Practice

Before becoming a federal prosecutor, Mikkanen worked at a law firm in Oklahoma City from 1988 to 1994. There, he helped businesses and individuals with legal issues. He has been a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association since 1988 and lives in Norman, Oklahoma.

Serving as a Judge

Mikkanen has also served as a judge for Native American tribal courts. From 1988 to 1994, he was a judge for the Court of Indian Offenses. This court is run by the U.S. government for several tribes.

From 1991 to 1994, he held the important position of chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. As a judge, he wrote many important legal opinions that are still used today.

Awards and Teaching

Mikkanen has received many awards for his work.

• In 1992, he was honored by the Oklahoma Bar Association for providing free legal help to people in need.
• In 2004, the American Bar Association gave him its Spirit of Excellence Award.
• In 2011, he received an Exceptional Service Award from the National Association of Former United States Attorneys.
• In 2012, he won the Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Service in Indian Country. This award recognized his hard work to improve safety in Native American communities.

He has also been recognized by the FBI and the ATF for his help in solving federal crimes. For over 30 years, he was the president of the Oklahoma Indian Bar Association.

From 1988 to 2000, Mikkanen was also a professor at the Oklahoma City University School of Law, where he taught law students.

Nomination for Federal Judge

In 2011, President Barack Obama nominated Arvo Mikkanen to become a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma. This is a lifetime position and a very high honor. If he had been approved, he would have been only the third Native American to ever serve as a federal judge.

However, some politicians from Oklahoma disagreed with the nomination process. They said they were not asked for their opinion before the president made his choice. Because of this disagreement, the Senate Judiciary Committee never held a hearing to consider his nomination.

After more than 10 months, the nomination was returned to the president. President Obama did not nominate him again. In 2012, another person, John E. Dowdell, was nominated and approved for the position.

See also

• Barack Obama judicial appointment controversies
• List of Native American jurists