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Title 25, IndiansRelease 119-102

§81a Counsel for Prosecution of Claims Against the United States; Cancellation; Revival

Title 25 › CHAPTER 3 — AGREEMENTS WITH INDIANS › SUBCHAPTER II — CONTRACTS WITH INDIANS › § 81a

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Contracts the Secretary of the Interior approved before June 26, 1936 between a tribe and its lawyer are treated as meeting the old approval rule if they say the agreement lasts for a set number of years and keeps going until the job is finished, or if they say payment is based on the value of the lawyer’s work up to a fixed percentage. The Secretary can cancel any such contract after giving notice and holding a hearing for good cause. These rules do not bring back any contract that already ended by time, by law, or by the actions of the parties.

Full Legal Text

Title 25, §81a

Indians, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Any contracts or agreements approved prior to June 26, 1936, by the Secretary of the Interior between the authorities of any tribe, band, or group of Indians and their attorneys for the prosecution of claims against the United States, which provide that such contracts or agreements shall run for a period of years therein specified, and as long thereafter as may be required to complete the business therein provided for, or words of like import, or which provide that compensation for services rendered shall be on a quantum-meruit basis not to exceed a specified percentage, shall be deemed a sufficient compliance with section 81 of this title: Provided, however, That nothing herein contained shall limit the power of the Secretary of the Interior, after due notice and hearing and for proper cause shown, to cancel any such contract or agreement: Provided further, That the provisions of this section and section 81b of this title shall not be construed to revive any contract which has been terminated by lapse of time, operation of law, or by acts of the parties thereto.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

For

Transfer of Functions

of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

25 U.S.C. § 81a

Title 25, Indians

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102