About David A.
David A. Owens began his professional path in the Upper Midwest and carried that regional commitment into a legal career that intersects tribal and state systems. He earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of North Alabama in 2012 and returned north to complete a Juris Doctor at the University of North Dakota School of Law in 2016. Those formative years shaped his understanding of both community needs and the particular legal frameworks that govern tribal nations.
After law school Owens built a practice grounded in the procedural realities of multiple court systems. He holds admission in North Dakota and before the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota. He is also admitted to appear in several tribal courts: the Spirit Lake Nation, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, and the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara. That range of admissions positions him to work across overlapping jurisdictions.
Early in his career Owens took on matters that required careful navigation of tribal sovereignty and federal regulations. He developed experience in filings and hearings that involved both tribal judicial processes and state or federal procedures when cases crossed jurisdictional lines. He has handled pleadings, motion practice, and courtroom appearances appropriate to those venues. Owens has also worked on matters requiring collaboration with tribal court personnel and local officials.
Owens practices out of Traynor Law Office. There he is part of a small legal team that handles a variety of client needs. His work there has involved case preparation, client counseling, and representation in hearings. Colleagues describe him as methodical in preparing records and attentive during oral argument.
Outside the courtroom he has maintained ties to legal education and local legal communities through continuing education and participation in practice panels. He keeps current on changes to tribal law, federal statutes affecting Indian Country, and state procedural rules that intersect with tribal matters. That steady engagement helps when cases raise complex questions about jurisdiction and applicable law.
Today Owens remains at Traynor Law Office, representing clients in tribal courts, state courts in North Dakota, and the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota. He continues to handle matters that arise at the intersections of tribal, state, and federal law and provides courtroom and advisory services across those systems.
