Kehl Van Winkle
Kehl Van Winkle is an attorney at mctlaw whose practice focuses on Indian law. He advises tribes on cannabis, hemp, Indian gaming, housing programs, economic development, and tribal governance matters.
Office:
Seattle, WA 
Bio
Kehl Van Winkle is an attorney at mctlaw based in the Seattle, WA office. His legal practice focuses on Indian Law. Mr. Van Winkle graduated from the University of Oregon with a bachelor’s degree in linguistics and earned his Juris Doctor degree from Lewis & Clark Law School in 2017.
At mctlaw, Kehl’s practice centers on helping tribes regulate cannabis, hemp, Indian gaming, and housing programs. He has also helped individual Native Americans with enrollment/disenrollment disputes. Prior to working at mctlaw, Mr. Van Winkle worked as an in-house attorney for the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe where he represented the Tribe in a variety of economic development projects, including the opening of a casino and a marijuana dispensary. He also represented the Tribe in State and Tribal Court on Indian Child Welfare Act cases and served as the prosecuting attorney for the Tribe in Tribal Court. Early in his career, Kehl was selected for judicial externships with the Hon. Rebecca Duncan on the Oregon Court of Appeals and with Hon. Michael H. Simon in the U.S. District of Oregon. Mr. Van Winkle’s expertise in the area of Indian law has provided him with the opportunity to speak at conferences nationwide on subjects ranging from tribal cannabis law to human resources and employment law in Indian Country.
Kehl was born in Salem, Oregon where he met his high school sweetheart, now wife. In his personal time, he holds a leadership position at his church and has coached high school and collegiate debates. On a day off you’ll often find Kehl enjoying outdoor activities like kayaking, hiking, and camping. If you’re wondering how to pronounce Kehl’s name, it sounds like Kale.
Bar Admissions
- Washington
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
- Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe
- Squaxin Island Tribe
- United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma
- Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians
Education
- Lewis & Clark Law School, Juris Doctor (Indian Law Program)
- University of Oregon, Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics
Practice Areas
Academic Involvements
- Associate Editor, Lewis & Clark Law Review
- Debate, University of Oregon
