Donald M. Ragona is a graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law with a Juris Doctorate and a magna cum laude graduate of Long Island University, C.W. Post College where he was a history major.
His academic achievements at Long Island University earned him nominations to three prestigious honor societies Phi Eta Sigma, Pi Gamma Mu and Phi Alpha Theta. While attending Pepperdine School of Law he clerked at the American Indian Legal Project located at the American Indian Center in Los Angeles. He also had a prestigious judicial clerkship with the late Justice Douglas Young of the New York Supreme Court.
Upon graduation from law school, Don worked as a Tax Investment Marketing Specialist for Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith where he drafted memorandums of law relating to public and private tax investment programs and advised brokers and their clients regarding federal and state tax law and its effect on securities offerings. Don later went on to work for the Allstate Insurance Company specializing in insurance defense where he directed case preparation, litigated and arbitrated cases for the Company's clients who were involved in motor vehicle accidents. Don also served on the Board of Directors of the National Indian Prisoners Support Group located in Minneapolis, Minnesota as well as being a member of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act Coalition which was sponsored by the Native American Rights Fund. As part of the Coalition, Don wrote both state and federal legislation regarding the right to worship for American Indian prisoners. Don later went on to work at the Native American Rights Fund as their Development House Counsel and Development Director.
In addition to practicing law, Don has also served as an adjunct professor teaching federal Indian law at the University of Colorado – Denver and at Colorado State University. He has also been a guest lecturer on federal Indian law and Indian issues at Brown University, University of Colorado-Boulder, and Connecticut College. He is also a frequently speaks on estate planning issues as well as their potential effects on Native nations at Native conferences such as those sponsored by the National center for American Indian Enterprise Development, National Congress of American Indians, National Indian Gaming Association, Native Americans in Philanthropy and the IMN Native Finance Conferences. Most recently, Don was asked to sit on the advisory panel and write the preface to The Management of American Indian Investment Decisions (Mystic, CT. Fiduciary Ethos).
Don's primary practice areas include the drafting of estate and trust documents, commercial leases, advising tribal businesses, tribal governments, agencies and enterprises in matters of employment, insurance, risk management and general economic and business development. He also works with non-Native businesses offering general business counsel in areas such as business development, and asset protection and employment.
When not at the office Don is an Alpine trainer and ski instructor at the Keystone Ski Resort. He is also an avid motorcycle (Harley Davidson of course!) enthusiast and a member of a traditional Lakota drum group – Rock Creek Singers.