All of the judges at the Quinault Tribal Court have extensive experience working with Native American tribes as well as with county, state and federal courts. Each judge has a distinct background that brings both diversity and a wealth of knowledge to the tribal court. 

They also bring experience in tribal juvenile justice, Indian child welfare and advocacy for victims of violence.

They have worked in areas such as treaty rights and tribal governance, gaming, Indian law, mental health law and criminal law, among others.

Quinault Tribal Court Chief Judge Leona Colegrove

Chief Judge Leona Colegrove is a proud Quinault, Hupa and Saanich. She  is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law with a Concentration in Alternative Dispute Resolution. In addition to the Quinault Nation Court, she is also the Chief Judge of the Elk Valley Rancheria in Northern California. She has been practicing law since 2000 and began her judicial career in both Tribal and State Court in 2006.

 She has extensive experience developing and operating tribal alternative criminal and juvenile courts, to include the first adult wellness/drug courts for both the Quinault and Quileute Tribes. She has also developed joint jurisdiction alternative Courts to include the Hoopa Tribal and Humboldt County joint jurisdiction family wellness court.  

In addition to her judicial work, Judge Colegrove is an  attorney and has litigated On behalf of Tribes and Tribal members in both  Tribal and State Court. She was the first Indian Judge to sit on the Washington State Supreme Court Commission on Children in Foster Care. She is an expert at  expanding victim protections in the communities that she serves, developing victims of crime programming available at her Courts.  

She’s held positions on the Washington State Tribal Court Judges Association Governing Board, the National American Indian Court Judges Associations Executive Board, the California Tribal State Court Forum and the WA Tribal/State Court Consortium. 

Quinault Tribal Court Pro Tem Judge Anita E. Neal

Pro Tem Judge Anita E. Neal was born into a large Mexican-American family and raised in a small border town in Arizona. She is a descendant of the Indigenous peoples of Mexico. She attended and graduated from Yuma High School (most notably known for its famous mascot, the “Yuma Criminal”) in 1976. She received a B.A. in English/secondary education from the University of Arizona in 1981 and taught English and journalism at a rural high school in Avondale, Arizona for two years. 

Judge Neal went on to attend Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and received a J.D. in 1986. After relocating to the Pacific Northwest, she became a member of the Washington State Bar in 1987. She has been practicing law since that time and operates a solo law practice in Olympia, Washington where her focus is Indian law. She is proud to represent and provide legal advice to Native American Tribes, tribal organizations, and individuals.

Judge Neal has been a tribal court judge for over 19 years and, in addition to serving the Quinault Indian Nation as Pro Tem Judge, she is honored to currently serve as Chief Judge for the following Tribal Courts: Port Gamble S’Klallam Community Court, Quileute Tribal Court, Shoalwater Bay Tribal Court, and the Snoqualmie Tribal Court. Judge Neal also provides pro tem judicial services to the Tulalip Tribal Court and the Swinomish Tribal Court. 

With the understanding that each Indian Tribe is unique in its laws, customs, and traditions, Judge Neal is fully committed to providing professional judicial services that honor and respect each individual Tribe’s court system and the community each tribal court serves.

Quinault Tribal Court Associate Judge Lettig

Associate Judge Lettig received her Juris Doctorate from the University of New Mexico School of Law after graduating from the University of Washington.  As an attorney she has been practicing for over 10 years and has extensive knowledge in the fields of Tribal Law, Dependency, and Family Law. 

As a Yakama Indian, Judge Lettig has dedicated her career to serving Indian Country through the legal process.  She has presented at conferences, including an ABA conference in Washington D.C., in order to further educate the legal community at large as to best practices within tribal courts.

Judge Lettig is licensed to practice law in Washington State, Tulalip Tribal Court, Snoqualmie Tribal Court, Muckleshoot Tribal Court, and Quinault Tribal Court.