UNLV Law Magazine 2019

UNLV Law THE MAGAZINE OF THE WILLIAM S. BOYD SCHOOL OF LAW | 2019

THE FUTURE OF LAW

Thanks in part to the generosity of donors, our students will continue to impact the legal community in ways as diverse as their backgrounds

+ INTRODUCING THE JUSTICE MICHAEL L. DOUGLAS PRELAW FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM WILLIAM S. BOYD

SCHOOL OF LAW

+ NEW MISDEMEANOR CLINIC PROVIDES PATHWAY TO JUSTICE

LL.M. in Gaming Law and Regulation

If Not Now, When?

The LL.M. in Gaming Law and Regulation is now more accessible than ever. • Flexible Schedules: Available on a part-time or full-time basis with early morning courses, the program can be designed to balance with a busy schedule.

• UNLV Alumni Advantage: Alumni from UNLV can transfer a portion of their gaming and approved coursework toward the 24-unit LL.M. program.

Learn more: law.unlv.edu/gaminglaw

CONTENTS Features

16

THE DOOR IS OPEN, COME ON IN

The new Justice Michael L. Douglas PreLaw Fellowship Program will provide aspiring legal eagles a firsthand look at the law-school experience.

20

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE

Four scholarship recipients reflect on how the generosity of others allowed for the pursuit of their law school dreams—and put them in position to pay it forward.

26

A PATHWAY TO JUSTICE

Misdemeanor Clinic gives Boyd students a chance to assist citizens through a daunting legal experience. The result is often a new lease on life.

On the Cover

Departments

Left to right: Carmen Gilbert, Elva Castañeda, Aleem Dhalla, and Cheyenne Kidd

2 FROM THE DEAN’S DESK 4 OPENING ARGUMENT 6 CENTERS & CLINICS 8 GIVING BACK 10 WHO KNEW? 30 FACULTY FOCUS 35 THE GALLERY 42 CLASS ACTIONS 46 DONORS 52 ESSAY: A CASE FOR BOYD

PHOTO BY CONNIE PALEN

2019 | UNLV Law

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A MESSAGE FROM DEAN DANIEL W. HAMILTON

FROM THE DEAN’S DESK

T

Onward We Go, Upward We Grow

he UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law did quite a bit of celebrating last year, both in the pages of this magazine and at our 20th anniversary gala, during which many of the individuals who helped develop and nurture this institution came together to reminisce about the creation of Nevada’s first law school and all the amazing accomplishments that have been realized over the past two decades.

Together we have built one of the top public law schools in the U.S., and going forward we are committed to making UNLV Boyd an increasingly prestigious regional and national institution—all the while never forgetting that one of our primary goals is to serve the citizens of our community and state.

And that brings me to two exciting initiatives that we’ve launched in the past year—one we profiled in the 2018 issue, and the other you’ll read about in the pages that follow. Let’s start with the latter. Named in honor of Nevada’s esteemed retired Supreme Court Justice, the Justice Michael L. Douglas PreLaw Fellowship Program was officially unveiled in October. Under the direction of Justice Douglas, who is the first African American to serve on our state’s Supreme Court, the PreLaw Fellowship Program aims to ensure that Boyd’s population will be as diverse as the state it serves—not just today and tomorrow, but in the decades to come.

Like many law schools across the country that have created diversity pipeline programs, this comprehensive initiative will work in tandem with all of Nevada’s school districts to encourage high school students who are considering legal careers to think of Boyd as their law school.

Ultimately, the Justice Michael L. Douglas PreLaw Fellowship Program (see Page 16) is about making certain that we remain accessible to all Nevadans, regardless of their backgrounds.

The other initiative we rolled out this year is our Law and Leadership Program, under the direction of former Governor 2

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Brian Sandoval. As highlighted in last year’s profile of the governor, this program will bring together policymakers from around Nevada and the U.S.—governors, senators, legislators, and judges from the past and present—to talk about what makes for successful leadership and effective public policy. As part of the Law and Leadership Program, Governor Sandoval has been meeting regularly with our students, and come the spring, he’ll be offering a class in law and leadership.

Both of these programs shine a light on how the state’s legal and political leaders are connecting with Nevada’s law school to continue serving our citizens, and we are extremely grateful to both Justice Douglas and Governor Sandoval.

We’ve added two other new members this year, Professors Kathy Stanchi and Joe Regalia, both of whom have joined the faculty of our renowned legal-writing program. The arrival of Kathy and Joe (learn more about both on Pages 30 and 33, respectively) reinforces Boyd’s commitment to recruit top-notch faculty from around

the country—because at the end of the day, that’s how you develop and maintain a nationally respected law school.

As the Boyd Law family welcomes Kathy and Joe, it also bids farewell (sort of) to the retiring Terry Pollman, a founding professor who was the architect of a legalwriting program that was ranked No. 1 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for the second straight year. We can’t thank Terry enough for her dogged commitment in raising our legal-writing profile to the highest of heights, and we’re delighted that she will remain connected with Boyd as an emerita professor.

Not only did our legal-writing program retain its top ranking, but our Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution climbed to No. 5 on U.S. News & World Report’s list of the nation’s foremost dispute resolution clinics (see Page 6). In fact, a total of eight Boyd programs landed on U.S. News’ annual rankings, all within the top 75. As proud as I am of those accomplishments, I’m confident that a ninth program will be added to that list in short order: our Misdemeanor Clinic.

Developed by Professors Eve Hanan and Anne Traum, the Misdemeanor Clinic (see Page 26) debuted last fall as a way to combat a growing problem in our state’s legal system: citizens charged with misdemeanors having to interact with Justice Court without the aid of a lawyer. Unlike with a felony, those charged with misdemeanors in Nevada don’t have a right to counsel when they’re forced to answer to violations in court. But thanks to the work of Eve and Anne, citizens who can’t afford legal representation can now access our Misdemeanor Clinic, where 3L students take cases pro bono and guide clients through every step of the process until the matter is resolved.

The new Misdemeanor Clinic, which falls under the auspices of our wonderful Thomas & Mack Legal Clinics, joins the Saltman Center, the Immigration Clinic (including the Edward M. Bernstein & Associates Children’s Rights Program), and the Russell Rosenblum Family Foundation

FROM THE DEAN’S DESK

UNLV LAW MAGAZINE EDITOR MATT JACOB ASSOCIATE EDITOR MICHAEL BERTETTO GRAPHIC DESIGNER CHED WHITNEY COPY EDITOR PAUL SZYDELKO CONTRIBUTING WRITERS STEVE BORNFELD PATRICK EVERSON GAEL HESS KIKO MIYASATO STEVE SEBELIUS PAUL SZYDELKO CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS JOSHUA HAWKINS CONNIE PALEN LONNIE TIMMONS III

Tax Clinic as the latest in a long line of programs that were created with a dual purpose: to assist our citizens with their legal needs and provide our students with critical hands-on experience.

As for those students, they continue to come not just from around the country, but across the globe, and they continue to reflect a variety of cultures (which we highlight on Page 20 in an intriguing four-student profile about the positive impact of scholarships). In fact, our student body is more geographically and socially diverse than ever: one-third come from outside the state; 58 percent are female; and 38 percent self-identify as racially diverse. All of those students have put their faith in an institution that’s extremely competitive (this year’s LSAT score/GPA numbers of 159 and 3.69 were the highest in school history); that provides invaluable opportunities (for instance, Boyd remains among the top law schools in the country for placing students in judicial clerkships); that has a graduation rate in the mid-90s; and that, most importantly, is highly attractive to employers.

To that latter point, you’ll find our more than 2,500 Boyd alumni practicing throughout the state of Nevada, as well as at top law firms in California, across the West, and even in Washington, D.C. Not only that, but several of our alums are making a difference as members of the Nevada Legislature, including two—Jason Frierson and Nicole Cannizzaro—who occupy the top leadership positions in the Assembly and Senate (see Page 4). Then there’s Judge Brenda Weksler, the first Boyd alum to be elevated to the federal bench, having been appointed to fill a U.S. Magistrate seat for the District of Nevada; Judges Jacqueline Bluth and Rhonda K. Forsberg, both of whom were appointed by Governor

Steve Sisolak to fill seats on the Eighth Judicial District Court; Rosa Solis-Rainey, who serves on the Nevada Gaming Commission; and Sandra Douglass Morgan, who chairs the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

These are just a handful of the many Boyd Law graduates who, in their own individual way, have chosen to continue carrying out the community service component that’s been ingrained in Boyd’s culture since our doors first opened 21 years ago.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to recognize some of the community partners who have contributed greatly to our success, among them our namesake, William S. Boyd, and his family; the Thomas & Mack families; Michael and Sonja Saltman; Ed and Claudia Bernstein; the Rosenblum family; Barbara Buckley and her team at the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada; and all of our state and federal representatives.

Thanks to their support—and, really, the support of the entire community—the pieces are in place for Boyd to continue its upward momentum. And as we eagerly peer through that windshield at what lies ahead, we do so while staying true to the mission that was established more than two decades ago: Always be of service to all Nevadans, and never settle for just being “good enough.”

UNLV PRESIDENT MARTA MEANA INTERIM PROVOST CHRIS HEAVEY DEAN, WILLIAM S. BOYD SCHOOL OF LAW DANIEL W. HAMILTON SUBSCRIBER UPDATES Update your address and submit Class Actions items at: law.unlv.edu/alumni/ StayConnected UNLV Law magazine is published by the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law, Office of Communications 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 451003, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154-1003 (702) 895-3671 law.unlv.edu UNLV is an AA/EEO INSTITUTION

Daniel W. Hamilton Dean and Richard J. Morgan Professor of Law 2019 | UNLV Law

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PROMINENT MEMBERS OF NEVADA’S LEGAL COMMUNITY PRESENT A COMPELLING CASE

OPENING ARGUMENT

A CONVERSATION WITH ...

NICOLE CANNIZZARO NEVADA SENATE MAJORITY LEADER JASON FRIERSON NEVADA SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY

In Boyd, We Trusted TWO ESTEEMED ALUMNI WHO HELPED ESTABLISH AND NURTURE A PROUD LEGACY TAKE A STROLL DOWN MEMORY LANE

W

hen the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law officially opened in August 1998, Jason Frierson was among the members of the charter class sitting front and center, wondering about … well, a lot of things: Would the administration honor its commitment to community service? Could the school truly function while operating out of Paradise Elementary School (which was the Boyd’s headquarters until 2002)? And—most importantly—did he make the right decision?

At the same time Frierson was mulling these questions, Nicole Cannizzaro was five miles away attending Chaparral High School with an eye toward her future. And because that future included a desire to attend law school, she had some questions of her own. Chief among them: Would her hometown’s new law institution be a viable option down the road?

Fast-forward 21 years, and both Frierson (’01 J.D.) and Cannizzaro (’10 J.D.) are among the more than 2,500 individuals who proudly call themselves Boyd Law alumni.

They also happen to occupy the two most prominent seats in the Nevada Legislature, Frierson as Speaker of the Assembly and Cannizzaro as Senate Majority Leader. Their respective ascensions to such prestigious leadership positions stand as but two examples of the many Boyd graduates who not only have gone on to enjoy successful careers, but who take seriously the responsibility to give back to their community.

Frierson and Cannizzaro recently returned to campus to discuss their journey to and through Boyd, including the many ways in which the school helped establish their life course and how future graduates are uniquely positioned to ensure that Boyd’s legacy endures for decades to come.

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JASON FRIERSON: For me, public service was always the focus. I grew up with parents who both worked in civil service, so I arrived at Boyd with a thirst to give back. I wasn’t sure in what capacity, but the law school stressed that one of its missions would be to positively impact the community. So that made it an attractive prospect to further my passion.

NICOLE CANNIZZARO: I don’t know that serving in the Legislature was always part of my career plan, but one thing I definitely garnered from my time at Boyd was the emphasis on community service, getting out there and giving back. Now in my role as a legislator, I get to see how doing that really makes a difference in people’s lives. It’s absolutely one of the best ways to pay it forward.

FRIERSON: If you think about it, we have Boyd graduates running this state at various levels, whether it’s city govern-

ment, county government, the legislative branch, the judicial branch. I find Boyd grads, particularly classmates from that first year, who are woven throughout this state’s legal community.

CANNIZZARO: When I was still in high school and thinking I eventually wanted to attend law school, my mom suggested, “Why don’t you think about going to Boyd?” And I said, “Well, it’s going to take them a long time to get accredited and become a respected institution where law firms are going to want to hire graduates.”

Even the idea that, upon finishing my undergraduate degree at UNR, Boyd was an option for me and that I was interested in coming here is a testament to what the school has done since the day it was founded.

FRIERSON: I participated in the school’s first clinic, Juvenile Justice, and I’m fairly sure I was the first Boyd

OPENING ARGUMENT

student who argued in court. And when I opened my mouth, things came out that I didn’t even realize I had learned. I remember I turned and looked at [founding Boyd Law Professor] Mary Berkheiser, almost like, “Is that OK?” Something happened—a switch got flipped. And I knew right then I had made the right decision to come here.

CANNIZZARO: Jason and the entire [charter] class set the bar very high for the rest of us. If you meet a Boyd graduate, even from the early years, they all went on to become amazing litigators and dedicated and effective community advocates.

They’re legislators and judges and partners in law firms. And it started with [the charter class]. They’re the ones who took

the first step and helped the law school build a strong foundation, which attracted better students.

FRIERSON: Those of us who represent the inaugural class would love to take credit for how far Boyd has come, but we recognize that the school has only gotten stronger because of the dedication of the students, faculty, and administrations who followed. The fact Boyd has moved up the ranks so quickly and so high is a testament to the caliber of the program that has been developed.

CANNIZZARO: It’s both humbling and breathtaking what has been accomplished within the community, as a law school and as alumni, in what is comparatively a very short period of time.

Boyd is producing talented, educated, and wonderful advocates, which is what the law school should be doing. This isn’t just a place where you come to get a degree. It’s a place that is building a community.

FRIERSON: In conjunction with it being humbling, there’s a tremendous sense of responsibility to do right by the law school, to make sure that when we are in the public eye and we’re serving as a reflection of the law school that we do the best we can do, because we know people behind us depend on that reputation. It’s a reminder of the continuing obligation to give back and make sure you leave the door open for those who come behind you.

CANNIZZARO: The fact I was able to get the kind of education I got at Boyd and the opportunities I was able to explore as a result of attending this law school, it absolutely set me up for success that allowed me to reach this position. So when anyone asks, “Is Boyd a good law school. Are they doing things right in the community? Are they turning out quality graduates?” the answer is a resounding “yes.”

FRIERSON: I did not come to Boyd as a straight-A student, and I didn’t come from a family of lawyers, so it’s not like learning the law came naturally. I had to work hard. So I certainly see this as an opportunity to tell people this is something you can accomplish if you set your mind to it. Given where both Nicole and I came from, we’re in a unique position to encourage people from similar backgrounds to aim high. You have to do the work to get here, but once you’re here, you’ll be given all the tools to succeed.

CANNIZZARO: I would agree. My parents didn’t have a high school education, and I’m the first one in my family to even go to college, let alone law school. Being able to have the opportunity to attend Boyd, get that law degree, pursue a career that I was passionate about from a young age, and then go on to serve in a capacity that’s rewarding and allows me to give back to a community that I got so much from has been truly amazing. We are both proof that if you’re willing to put in the work, time, and energy, there really is an ability to attend this law school, get a great education, and achieve whatever it is you want to achieve.

2019 | UNLV Law

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SALTMAN CENTER

CENTERS & CLINICS

Staying the Course AS SHE TAKES OVER THE SALTMAN CENTER FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION, LYDIA NUSSBAUM’S MISSION IS CLEAR: PICK UP WHERE HER PREDECESSOR LEFT OFF

BY MATT JACOB For the past 16 years, the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution at the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law has championed the advantages of alternative dispute resolution through scholarship, teaching, and public service. And from the very beginning, the center’s driving force has been Founding Director—and Michael and Sonja Saltman Professor of Law—Jean Sternlight.

With Sternlight at the wheel, the Saltman Center has simultaneously experienced tremendous growth—at a time when lawyering has become more about settling differences outside of the courtroom—and gained immense national respect. So much so that this year, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Saltman Center fifth on its annual list of dispute resolution programs.

It’s a milestone worth celebrating, which Sternlight did … by deciding to hand over the Saltman Center’s wheel to her co-pilot and fellow Boyd Law Professor Lydia Nussbaum. As the Saltman Center’s new director, Nussbaum’s chief task is rather simple—in theory, at least: Sustain her predecessor’s vision by making sure the Saltman Center remains a trusted resource for all who have an interest in and/or can benefit from alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

“I feel like someone has given me the keys to a very fancy sports car, and I’m just trying to make sure I don’t race over speed bumps or scrape the curb when I’m parallel parking,” says Nussbaum, who took over for Sternlight in July after serving as the Saltman Center’s Associate Director since arriving at Boyd in 2013. “Really, my main objective is to continue our positive momentum.”

While ADR practices such as negotiation, mediation, and arbitration have been around for decades, they became increasingly popular around the time the Saltman Center was founded in 2003. Recognizing the trend, Sternlight developed a program that provided Boyd students with critical in6

UNLV Law | 2019

Boyd Professor Lydia Nussbaum (left) has taken the reins of the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution from Founding Director Jean Sternlight.

stitutional knowledge about dispute resolution, while also enlightening the community.

“My primary goals were to educate our students effectively regarding the broad range of conflict resolution tools and to host events that would educate not only our students but also broader communities about how conflict resolution can make this world a better place,” she says. “With huge help from donors Michael and Sonja Saltman, multiple law school deans, and enthusiastic law faculty, I’m very proud of our work on both fronts.”

Now it’s up to Nussbaum to build on that work. One way she intends to do that is to continue fostering a strong curriculum that exposes students to the idea that lawyers, as much as anything, are problem solvers.

“That means offering lots of classes and opportunities to develop skills, but also to think creatively about problem-solving,” she says. “It also means trying to bridge the gap between traditionalist law school curriculum and the practical skills students will need when they go out and practice law.”

Another Saltman Center tradition that will prevail under Nussbaum’s leadership is regularly welcoming guest speakers for community lectures on relevant ADR topics. One such lecture, titled “Decriminaliz-

ing Domestic Violence,” will be presented February 27 by Leigh Goodmark, a professor at the University of Maryland’s King Carey School of Law. A week later on March 5, the annual Chris Beecroft Jr. Lecture will feature University of Pittsburgh School of Law Professor Pat Chew, who will address the lack of diversity among arbitrators, an issue that gained national prominence last year in a case involving rap artist Jay-Z. Nussbaum—who also serves as Director of the law school’s Mediation Clinic—certainly has added a lot to her plate by taking over the Saltman Center. But she has at least one fan who has zero doubt she’s up to the task.

“I’m absolutely thrilled that Lydia has taken over the position,” Sternlight says. “Her strong knowledge of the [ADR] field, her talents as a communicator, her enthusiasm, and her people skills have already strengthened our program immeasurably both within and outside of Nevada. I can’t wait to see where her new ideas and energy take us.”

The good news for Nussbaum? Sternlight is still a full-time professor who will remain involved with the Saltman Center, meaning Nussbaum won’t have far to turn if she needs some advice. “I’ll make sure Jean’s sitting in the passenger seat with the GPS, just in case I need directions on where to go.”

IMMIGRATION LAW

CENTERS & CLINICS

Fighting to the Finish IMMIGRANTS SEEKING JUSTICE HAVE A TENACIOUS ADVOCATE IN RECENT BOYD GRADUATE AND IMMIGRANT JUSTICE CORPS FELLOW PALOMA GUERRERO

BY KIKO MIYASATO As she was finishing her undergraduate degree at UNLV, Paloma Guerrero was faced with the ago-old question many new graduates confront: “What do you want to do with your degree?” A philosophy major, she was enamored by the subject, but also knew she didn’t want to enter the world of academia as a professor.

Guerrero had often heard fellow students, as well as faculty, talking about the university’s law school. So she researched the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law, and what she discovered in particular was a program that spoke to her heart. “I was looking at what made [Boyd] so special,” she says, “and the Immigration Clinic was always something that came up.”

So the longtime Nevadan and first-generation college student set off on a new path, one that’s led to a string of impressive accomplishments, not the least of which was a law degree (which she earned this year), as well as most recently being named Boyd’s first Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow.

“I started at Boyd in the fall of 2016, when [President Donald] Trump was elected, and I saw directly how the new administration was impacting [immigrants], especially in Las Vegas,” Guerrero says.

“And I knew I wanted to fill that need.”

She’s certainly done that, and then some.

Just this year alone, in addition to earning her juris doctor and the Immigrant Justice Corps fellowship, Guerrero worked in Carson City as a legislative policy extern for Governor Steve Sisolak’s administration during the Nevada legislative session. Besides helping to draft a bill that created the governor’s Office for New Americans, she co-presented the bill and lobbied legislators on its behalf.

Additionally, since May 2018, Guerrero has been a Peggy Browning Fund Fellow, a role that included spending 10 weeks in the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice, meeting with immigrant clients and doing anti-surveillance research tied to immigration enforcement. And as a Public Interest Fellow since May 2017, Guerrero—among other tasks—helped lead Boyd’s annual Community Law Day, which in 2018 assisted more than 1,200 people in quashing traffic warrants.

Guerrero’s campus life was also quite eventful. While working toward her degree, she carved out time to participate in numerous student organizations, including the Immigration Law Society (serving as president), the Organization of Women Law Students (president), OUTLaws (president), the American Constitution Society (secretary), and Nevada Law Journal (senior staff member).

Also, as a student in the Immigration Clinic, Guerrero gained practical legal experience by assisting on real-life defense cases involving adult and child immigrants. “Being a student attorney, I got to practice a lot of the skills I’ll be using when I’m actually a practicing attorney,” Guerrero says. “For example, I represented clients in

immigration court—I was there on the table, talking to the judge for their bond hearing. I got to do that twice, and I was able to get them out of the Henderson Detention Center.”

Now, things have come full circle for Guerrero: She’s back at the Immigration Clinic as an Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow, a prestigious position that was bestowed upon just 28 law school graduates from across the country. The Immigrant Justice Corps is a one-of-a-kind organization that provides critical legal assistance to immigrants fighting deportation. As part of her fellowship, Guerrero will represent individuals who are detained.

“With the experiences I had at Boyd, I feel empowered, and I also feel supported in this new role,” Guerrero says. “I really wanted to find a fellowship that was going to train me and help advance my skills ... because, especially when it comes to immigration, people need advocates who will fight tooth and nail for them. And that’s what I’m going to do.”

2019 | UNLV Law

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A GLIMPSE INTO BOYD’S GOOD WORKS IN THE COMMUNITY

GIVING BACK

PUBLIC INTEREST ADVISORY BOARD Cynthia Alexander, Dickinson Wright PLC Judge Nancy Allf, Eighth Judicial District Court Venicia Considine, Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada Bill Curran, Ballard Spahr LLP Justice Michael Douglas, Retired Nevada Supreme Court Justice James Conway, Washoe Legal Services Nikki Harris, William S. Boyd School of Law Daniel Hamilton, William S. Boyd School of Law Dawn Jensen, Nevada Legal Services AnnaMarie Johnson, Nevada Legal Services Judge Joanna Kishner, Eighth Judicial District Court Patricia Lee, Hutchison & Steffen Brad Lewis, Access to Justice Commission, State Bar of Nevada Noah Malgeri, Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada Professor Lydia Nussbaum, William S. Boyd School of Law Shannon Phenix, Clark County Public Defender’s Office Shaina Plaksin, Knepper & Clark Dan Polsenberg, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP Christine Smith, William S. Boyd School of Law Judge Gloria Sturman, Eighth Judicial District Court Alexis Taitel, Public Interest Law Association, William S. Boyd School of Law Elana Turner Graham, Southern Nevada Senior Law Program Brittnie Watkins, Pisanelli Bice 8

UNLV Law | 2019

Fostering a Better Future BOYD ALUMNA MONA KAVEH PROVIDES FOSTER KIDS WITH MUCH-NEEDED LEGAL HELP—AND MUCH-NEEDED HOPE

BY GAEL HEES Children in the foster care system face numerous challenges, chief among them being constant change: moving in and out of homes, being assigned to different case workers and court representatives, attending new schools. As a result, they often have nobody they can consistently rely on, nobody they can trust.

That’s where Mona Kaveh steps in.

A source of long-term support for Southern Nevada’s abused and neglected foster children, Kaveh represents individuals from newborns through age 21 through her pro bono work with the Children’s Attorneys Project at the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada. It’s a program she first learned about more than a decade ago as a student at the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law. A Las Vegas native who earned her bachelor’s degree from UNLV, Kaveh was looking for externships that focused on helping children, so she visited the school’s career center. Once there, she met with then-Director (and current Adjunct Professor) Cynthia Asher, who suggested Kaveh check out the Legal Aid Center, where she was paired with the Children’s Attorneys Project (CAP).

“More than 10 years later, that externship remains one of my most memorable law school experiences,” says Kaveh, a 2009 Boyd graduate who practices complex litigation in Nevada for Kemp, Jones & Coulthard, LLP. “Seeing these foster children and the situations they were in just broke my heart, and I knew I had to continue helping even after law school.”

Kaveh has done just that, serving as a volunteer with CAP throughout her professional career, representing dozens of foster children in the courtroom. “Being the voice of these children and their only constant during such a troubling time, I see firsthand the positive impact it makes in their lives,” she says. “They feel stronger and safer knowing someone is by their side, advocating for them every step of the way.”

Kaveh’s support of children hardly ends with CAP. She also volunteers at the Shannon West Homeless Youth Center, teaching life-skills courses to individuals

aged 16 to 24, and along with her mother she also supports Clark County’s Child Haven, a shelter that temporarily houses foster children.

When not devoting time to her own pro bono work, Kaveh is encouraging the local legal community to step up and represent children in need. Case in point: During the Legal Aid Center’s annual pro bono awards luncheon in December 2018, she stood before hundreds of colleagues and issued a challenge: With 45 foster children on the Legal Aid Center’s pro bono waiting list, Kaveh announced that her firm agreed to donate $1,000 (up to $45,000) to the Legal Aid Center for each CAP case accepted by an attorney by year’s end.

“My hope was that all 45 kids would have an attorney before the New Year,” Kaveh recalls. “And all 45 cases were accepted within two weeks.”

While the personal satisfaction she receives from assisting disadvantaged children is reward enough for Kaveh, her benevolent efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.

For instance, earlier this year, the Clark County Board of Commissioners presented Kaveh with a proclamation for her pro bono work. She also received the American Bar Association’s 2019 Pro Bono Publico Award and has twice been recognized by the Legal Aid Center, including earning the 2018 Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award, the organization’s highest honor.

All the while, Kaveh has built a successful career, including earning a spot on America’s Top 100 Attorneys list.

“When you’re passionate about something, you just make it work,” she says. “Of course, you’re going to get emotional with these types of cases. But that shouldn’t stop us from helping out.”

GIVING BACK

A Day to Make a Difference ANNUAL COMMUNITY LAW DAY PROVIDES VITAL LEGAL GUIDANCE TO ALL SOUTHERN NEVADANS

Community Law Day 2016

BY GAEL HEES They flocked to the East Las Vegas Community Center on a sweltering Saturday in late August, all looking for legal assistance on a variety of immigration issues. There to lend a hand were a group of Boyd students, faculty, and alumni, as well as attorneys and staff from the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, all participating in the 10th annual Community Law Day. Launched in partnership with the Legal Aid Center, Community Law Day has become a popular—and important—daylong pro bono program that provides services to a vulnerable population while also giving law students the chance to dip their toes in the legal pond. It’s all part of the broader community-service commitment that has been a hallmark of the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law since it was formed 21 years ago.

“When [founding Dean] Dick Morgan was hired, he invited three of us at Arizona State to join with him in this great adventure of starting a law school in Nevada,” says Christine Smith, founding Associate Dean and now Associate Dean for Public Service, Compliance, and Administration. “We started meeting on Saturday mornings at his house, brainstorming about what we wanted a law school to look like. One of the main things that was important to all of us was that we serve our community.”

Those conversations ultimately led to a graduation requirement that exists to this day: During their first or second year, every Boyd student must participate in at least one semester-long community service initiative. To achieve that goal, the law school partnered with the Legal Aid Center and Nevada Legal Services so that students— under the guidance of faculty and Legal Aid attorneys—could work directly with clients who need (but can’t afford) legal assistance.

Looking to broaden the law school’s community outreach, Smith in 2009 joined forces with Lynn Etkins—who at the time was Legal Aid Center’s associate director—to create Community Law Day. The idea was to take Boyd on the road and set up legal work-

Community Law Day 2013 shops to assist individuals in such remote locales as Pahrump and Mesquite.

“We rented a bus and loaded it up with law school students,” says Etkins, who now works as the chief development and marketing director at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. “Those days were really fun, and we made an impact.”

Within four years, Community Law Day evolved into an all-day, Las Vegas-based event that would be held the weekend before the start of the fall semester. Initially a catchall involving a wide range of legal issues, Community Law Day now focuses on a single legal topic that’s of great interest to the local community, such as records sealing, adult guardianship, and warrant quashing, the latter of which helped more than 2,000 people.

This year’s Community Law Day was all about immigration and attracted more than 120 individuals seeking help with immigra-

tion-related issues. Students assisted with document preparation, as well as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewals and Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) applications. Practicing attorneys also offered pro bono consultations, and several classes were held on such subjects as understanding legal rights.

While Boyd students certainly benefit tremendously from Community Law Day—for instance, they get to interact with clients in need, and learn how to build relationships and ask the right questions— the real winners are the thousands of clients they have served over the past decade.

“The people who come to [Community Law Day] all have some legal issue they’re dealing with—pending bankruptcies, they can’t pay bills, they’re going through a divorce and are afraid they might lose their children—and they can’t afford a lawyer,” Etkins says. “They don’t know the legal system, and they’re scared. These are people in serious crisis.”

And thanks to Community Law Day, many end up experiencing significant relief.

“One man who was able to get his warrant quashed told me afterward, ‘I can breathe for the first time in years,’” Smith recalls.

“Another individual who attended the records sealing event said, ‘Now I can finally go to school and get on with my life.’”

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INTERESTING INSIGHTS INTO THE BOYD COMMUNITY WHO KNEW?

Blazing a New Trail NEWLY LAUNCHED CANNABIS LAW SOCIETY SHEDS LIGHT ON VAST LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO MARIJUANA INDUSTRY

BY PATRICK EVERSON Medical marijuana has been legal in Nevada for almost two decades, while recreational use became legal in January 2017.

That’s made it imperative for the legal community—including the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law—to keep up with marijuana-related laws via education and information.

Aariel Williams recognized as much this past year.

“I approached a dean and asked if there were opportunities for myself and other students to learn more about cannabis policy,” says Williams, a 2L student. “Other [law] schools offer that, and I thought UNLV should as well, given that medical and recreational marijuana use is now legal.”

Williams was told such coursework wasn’t yet available and probably wouldn’t be before she graduated. So she decided to explore other options and learned that the Chicago-Kent College of Law has a Cannabis Law Society that serves as the parent chapter to similar organizations at law schools across the country.

Armed with her research, Williams talked with Frank Durand, Boyd’s Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

“I asked him, ‘Is it possible to start a Cannabis Law Society here?’ He kind of chuckled and said, ‘I don’t see why not,’” Williams says. “We submitted it to the Student Bar Association and got approved.”

Officially launched in March, the organization—now officially a subchapter of Chicago-Kent College’s Cannabis Law Society—has grown like a (pardon the pun) weed, having already attracted 55 members. Williams expects that number to increase once it starts hosting events in the fall, beginning with two panels introducing students to lawmakers who worked on cannabis legislation and attorneys who specialize in the field. “We’re bridging the gap and helping students become more aware 10

UNLV Law | 2019

“There are many attorneys in Las Vegas and throughout Nevada who do this kind of work. We want to help students network with these attorneys and learn about the opportunities that are available in cannabis law.”

Aariel Williams 2L student, founder of Boyd’s Cannabis Law Society

of this field of law,” Williams says.

It’s a field with tremendous potential for lawyers, given the rapid and expansive growth of the marijuana industry, as well as the numerous legal components associated with cannabis.

“It intersects into so many other areas of law—real estate, corporate law, environmental law, criminal law, intellectual property law,” Williams says. “There are many attorneys in Las Vegas and throughout Nevada who do this kind of work. We want to

help students network with these attorneys and learn about the opportunities that are available in cannabis law.”

Because cannabis is so highly regulated, it’s important for Boyd students to gain a better understanding of the myriad guidelines associated with the industry—particularly since state law, for the time being, conflicts with federal law, which continues to prohibit the use, sale, possession, and distribution of marijuana, be it for medical or recreational purposes.

“If you want to work in this field, you’ve got to know the regulations. You’ve got to ensure your clients are compliant with all the laws,” says Williams, who spent this past summer as a law clerk at Ashcraft & Barr LLP, a firm that specializes in cannabis law. “There’s a need for attorneys who know this, especially since laws pertaining to cannabis are constantly changing.

It’s good to have familiarity with it and just be prepared. You never know what may come of it.”

WHO KNEW?

Out of This World

PETYA PUCCI REVIVES INTERNATIONAL LAW SOCIETY, GIVING FELLOW BOYD STUDENTS AN EDGE IN AN INCREASINGLY COMPETITIVE FIELD

BY PATRICK EVERSON Now entering its third decade, the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law has given rise to numerous student-run organizations designed to help future lawyers find their way in the legal community, connect with mentors, and perhaps even develop a passion for a particular specialty. Some of these organizations have thrived and been consistent resources, while others have dissolved out of a lack of consistent interest from one generation of Boyd students to the next.

The International Law Society fell into the latter category—at least until last year, when Petya Pucci helped revive the organization, with a goal of making it a Boyd staple. “We basically started from scratch,” says Pucci, a 2L student on track to earn her juris doctor in 2021. “I knew going into law school that I had an interest in international law.

So I reached out to the community to get a feel for whether others were interested, and I was overwhelmed by the response.”

Seven classmates quickly agreed to help her get the International Law Society back on track, working through the regulatory components during the 2018 fall semester before hosting a speaker panel in April. Since then, the organization has increased its membership to 13 as of the start of the 2019-20 academic year.

“I was excited to see the interest. Some members had worked internationally in the past,” says Pucci, whose passion for international law stems in part from growing up in Bulgaria before moving to Las Vegas to join other family members here. “It’s an important [organization, because] issues are never truly local anymore. People on the other side of the world care about everything that occurs domestically. It affects policy-making and other decisions.”

In its latest incarnation, the International Law Society has a threepronged mission: to increase interest in and understanding of international legal issues; to provide a platform in which students can learn, engage, and network; and to acquaint students with career opportunities.

Pucci notes that Boyd is uniquely positioned when it comes to international law, given that Las Vegas is a world-class tourist destination.

Also, because Boyd is the only law school in the country to offer a Master’s in Gaming Law and Regulation—and with gaming proliferating globally—students interested in careers in international law have an inherent edge.

“There’s a lot of potential here, and a lot of areas where students can have a competitive advantage—for example, in gaming law,” Pucci says.

“For corporations looking to recruit for their legal departments, our students are particularly attractive for having mastery in the relevant areas of practice, as well as for being able to network directly through the multiple events and lectures that the school hosts each semester.

“Being the only law school in the state also gives our students a significant advantage. For corporations looking to recruit for their legal departments, our students are particularly attractive for having mastery in the relevant areas of practice.”

Petya Pucci 2L student, president of Boyd’s International Law Society

“Further, the Corporate Summer Internship Program gives Boyd students the opportunity to gain real-life experience working for some of the biggest names in the industry, including Caesars Entertainment, Boyd Gaming, and Las Vegas Sands corporations.”

Pucci served as president after reviving the International Law Society last year, then was re-elected to that role this year while being joined by five other board members. All are eager to expand their organization’s reach, further its mission, and make it an important—and permanent—part of the Boyd experience.

“Everyone is really excited and ready to do the work,” she says.

“One of our main goals will be recruiting new students, especially current 1L students representing the Class of 2022, so that we ensure continuity from one generation to the next and ensure our survival.”

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WHO KNEW?

GAMING LAW ADVISORY BOARD Michael Alonso, Alonso Law; Bo Bernhard, UNLV International Gaming Institute; Peter Bernhard, Kaempfer Crowell; Michael Brunet, Snow Covered Capital, LLC; AG Burnett, McDonald Carano; Anthony Cabot, Distinguished Fellow in Gaming Law, UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law; Jacob Coin, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; Bill Curran, Ballard Spahr LLP; Lou Dorn, Monarch Casino and Resort, Inc.; Daron Dorsey, Americas at Ainsworth Game of Technology; Mark Dunn, Aristocrat Technologies; Katie Fellows, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas; Greg Gemignani, Dickenson Wright; Phyllis Gilland, Golden Entertainment, Inc.; Gregory Giordano, McDonald Carano; A.J. (Bud) Hicks, McDonald Carano; Becky Harris, International Gaming Institute; Tom Jingoli, Konami Gaming; Terry Johnson, Nevada Gaming Control Board; Jan Jones Blackhurst, Caesars Entertainment; Yvette Landau, W.A. Richardson Builders, LLC; Katie Lever, The Drew Las Vegas; Mark Lipparelli, Galaxy Gaming; John McManus, MGM Resorts International; Kevin Mullally, Gaming Labs International, LLC; Maren Parry, Ballard Spahr LLP; Anthony Pearl, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas; Jennifer Roberts, International Center for Gaming Regulation; Jeffrey Rodefer, Holland & Hart; Scott Scherer, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP; Frank Schreck, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP; Jeffrey Silver, Dickinson Wright PLLV; Mike Sloan, Fertitta Entertainment/Red Rock Resorts; Keith Smith, Boyd Gaming Corp.; Ellen Whittemore, Wynn Resorts 12

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Point, Click, Learn TWO FORTHCOMING ONLINE COURSES TO TEACH GAMING LAW AND POLICY TO NONLAWYERS WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY

BY PATRICK EVERSON As one might expect, the 2018 Global Gaming Expo was a big hit in Las Vegas, and the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law was right in the middle of the action, thanks to a booth—generously donated by the American Gaming Association and Reed Exhibitions— on the floor of the Sands Convention Center. One of the law school’s objectives in attending the Expo: learn what legal-related resources would assist those who work in the ever-expanding gaming community, but who aren’t lawyers.

“We talked to hundreds of people,” says Anthony Cabot, a longtime Las Vegas gaming attorney who is Boyd’s Distinguished Fellow in Gaming Law. “Overwhelmingly, their response was, ‘We can’t take three years off to go to law school or go get a master’s degree.

But we’d love it and would certainly participate if you could offer online classes.’ The thought was that taking these classes would help supplement their employer’s training. It was a predominant theme of that conference, and it really gave us motivation to accelerate what we’re doing.”

That motivation is spawning two online courses— one an introduction to gaming law, the other focusing on gaming law policy—designed for those who don’t have the time, need, or desire to become lawyers, but whose daily work often overlaps with gaming’s regulatory world. Those courses are in development, and the goal is to launch them in early 2020. Those who finish each class will receive a certificate of completion, but looking down the road, Cabot says the curriculum could evolve into a full degree program.

“The audience is going to be regulators and typically people working in the gaming industry in one capacity

or another,” Cabot says of those who will find the online courses appealing. “That means compliance officials, internal auditors, casino executives, people working in areas of anti-money laundering, and others.”

Perhaps the best part about these new courses: There’s no set timetable for completion, so participants can work through the curriculum at their leisure without having to worry about meeting deadlines. Sarah Gonzales, Boyd’s Director of Graduate Programs, acknowledges that accessibility was a foremost consideration in designing the courses.

“This training opportunity provides access to a very specialized area of law,” Gonzales says. “There are only so many places where you can actually learn this type of law, and the online program makes it much more accessible. I have met with many non-lawyers—from Australia to Africa to Europe—who are looking for something like this, [but] they can’t commit to being at Boyd for a year. With this program, people can log in and complete it at their own pace.”

While most individuals—regardless of industry— prefer to learn on the job by actually doing, Gonzales says such an approach sometimes comes at the expense of learning certain important policies and protocols.

And that can lead to legal ramifications. This is especially a concern in the highly regulated gaming industry, whose thick rulebook is constantly expanding.

That’s why Gonzales says the Boyd Law—which is a world leader in teaching gaming law and offers the nation’s only LL.M. in Gaming Law and Regulation—is meeting a critical need by creating these online courses.

“This provides more training in theory, as well as an opportunity to learn what they’ve been doing in practice and see what others are doing. I run into a number of regulators and gaming professionals who aren’t lawyers—many have an accounting background or a tax background. These courses not only make gaming law accessible for working attorneys, but open the doors for non-lawyers working in the field.”

WHO KNEW?

Writing a New Chapter AS A NEW ERA DAWNS FOR BOYD’S TOP-RANKED LEGAL WRITING PROGRAM, THE COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE REMAINS UNCHANGED

BY MATT JACOB It’s never easy for any organization—be it a sports franchise, a business entity, or a scholastic institution—to reach the pinnacle of its industry. And those who have made it to the top of the proverbial mountain will readily admit that it’s even more difficult to stay there.

Now imagine trying to maintain such a lofty position when several of the individuals who led the climb are reaching the end of their tenure.

Well, that’s the challenge facing the five faculty members who are now guiding the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law’s top-ranked Lawyering Process Program.

It’s a challenge the team is ready to meet head-on in its attempt to continue writing (somewhat literally) Boyd history.

That history began with Terrill Pollman.

A founding Boyd Professor, Pollman developed the Lawyering Process Program, then elevated it by recruiting esteemed faculty like Peter Bayer, along with two famed legal writing scholars, Professors Linda Berger and Linda Edwards. This year, all four professors are slated to become emerita faculty, which means the program—which U.S. News & World Report has ranked in the top five for several years, including No. 1 in both 2018 and 2019—now rests in the capable hands of Professors Mary Beth Beazley, Lori Johnson and Rebecca Scharf, along with new additions Kathy Stanchi and Joe Regalia.

“Because of Terry’s great work developing this program, she was able to attract two superstar scholars—the Lindas, as they’re known,” says Beazley, who joined Boyd in 2017 as one of the nation’s most respected and decorated legal writing scholars. “And because of the foundation she laid and then built on, I feel we’re well-positioned to maintain our upward trajectory.”

The launching point for that upward trajectory can be traced to 1998, when founding Dean Dick Morgan decided Boyd’s

Boyd's Lawyering Process Program faculty (from left): Lori Johnson, Kathy Stanchi, Joe Regalia, Mary Beth Beazley, and Rebecca Scharf.

curriculum needed to have a strong legal writing component. Morgan’s theory: With a firm grasp on such an important skill— which at the time wasn’t emphasized at most law schools—graduates would enter the workforce with an advantage over the competition. So he lured Pollman from the University of Illinois College of Law, and she fashioned a blueprint that included a mandatory three-semester legal writing program. She also stressed the importance of recruiting the field’s top professors, allowing them to augment their teaching with scholarship, and providing them a path to tenure.

That blueprint turned out to be wildly successful. Experienced professors such as Edwards and Berger—and later Beazley and now Stanchi—came to Boyd in large part because they knew they would walk in the door as respected and equal members of the entire faculty (not always the case at law schools that don’t highly value legal writing).

Similarly, the law school’s continued dedication to legal writing has meant that scholars such as Johnson, Scharf, and Regalia chose to make their academic careers at Boyd.

“Terry developed a program that people wanted to come to,” Beazley says. “It wasn’t

only about the status, but also about the fact that there has always been an appropriate focus on teaching and scholarship.”

Recognizing that focus, Boyd’s current administration remains fully committed to producing graduates with strong legal writing skills, while allowing faculty the opportunity to conduct critical legal writing research. That commitment is evident by the recent hires of Stanchi and Regalia, as well as the continued work of Beazley, Johnson, and Scharf, whose collective scholarship focuses on such areas as the impact of digital platforms on the cognitive aspect of legal reading (Beazley); exploring the intersection between transactional lawyering, rhetorical criticism, and ethics (Johnson); and privacy law and technology (Scharf ).

Together, the quintet of professors will work diligently to ensure that Boyd’s revered Lawyering Process Program remains a great place to learn, as well as a great place to teach.

“As part of my job on the appointments committee last year, I talked to references and was frequently told, ‘Well, Boyd is the best legal writing job in the country,’” Beazley says. “The good thing is, it’s not just the reputation, it’s also the reality.”

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WHO KNEW?

HEALTH LAW ADVISORY BOARD Connie Akridge, JD, MBA, Holland & Hart, Las Vegas Office; Barbara Atkinson, MD, UNLV School of Medicine Founding Dean; Lawrence Barnard, MBA, Dignity Health – St. Rose Dominican, San Martin Campus; Annette Bradley, JD, Southern Nevada Health District; Michelle Chino, Ph.D., Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, UNLV School of Community Health Sciences; Peter Christiansen, JD, Christiansen Law Offices; Renee Coffman, Ph.D., RPh, Roseman University of Health Sciences; Ellen Cosgrove, MD, FACP, UNLV School of Medicine; Georgia Dounis, DDS, MS, Interdisciplinary Center on Aging Research & Education, UNLV School of Dental Medicine; Janet Dufek, MS, Ph.D., UNLV Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences; Carole Fisher; Samantha Fredrickson, JD, Planned Parenthood of Southern Nevada; Paul Janda, DO, JD, Valley Hospital Medical Center Neurology Residency Program; Sam Kaufman, MS, Desert Springs Hospital; Deborah Kuhls, MD, FACS, FCCM, Professor of Surgery, and Principal Academic Officer, Las Vegas Campus, University of Nevada School of Medicine; John O’Reilly, JD, MBA, O’Reilly Law Group; chair, University Medical Center Governing Board; Cheryl Perna, MSN, RN, UNLV School of Nursing; Melissa Piasecki, MD, University of Nevada School of Medicine; Susan Pitz, JD, MBA, University Medical Center; Michael Saltman, JD, The Vista Group; Lynn Stange, RN, BSN, MA, CHC, Nathan Adelson Hospice; Vincent Thomas, MD, MHA, FHRS, Children’s Hospital and Medical Center - Omaha, Nebraska; John Valery White, JD, William S. Boyd School of Law; Richard Whitley, MS, Nevada Department of Health and Human Services; Dylan Wint, MD, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health 14

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Here’s to Your Health HEALTH LAW PROGRAM TO HOST HEALTH CARE-REFORM CONFERENCE IN ITS CONTINUED QUEST TO SERVE AS A RELIABLE PUBLIC RESOURCE

BY KIKO MIYASATO Practically every candidate who has thrown his or her hat in the ring for the 2020 presidential election has spoken about it. No, not President Donald Trump’s latest tweet, but rather health care—or, more specifically, health care reform.

More than just a hot-button political topic, health care is a vital issue that affects all U.S. citizens, most of whom fail to grasp its complexities. The Health Law Program—a UNLV partnership between the William S. Boyd School of Law and the School of Public Health—is out to change that by engaging the community through a series of conferences, as well as guest speakers, featuring the foremost authorities in the field.

“We want to approach these important issues as experts, rather than as advocates,” says Dr. David Orentlicher, a Boyd professor, medical doctor, and the director of the Health Law Program. “Our goal is not to promote one view or another, so much as to make sure that people who attend can become informed and reach a better understanding of the issues. So whether it’s policymakers or the public, they can be in a better position to reach their own conclusions.”

To that end, Boyd will host a conference titled “Health Care Reform and the 2020 Election” on March 6. The conference will welcome speakers who will address several important health policy issues, including how to ex-

pand coverage to those who haven’t been reached by the Affordable Care Act. Additionally, experts will examine different proposals and rate them based on how likely they are to succeed in increasing access to health care.

Other areas of focus will be the underinsured, who may have coverage but are still unable to afford care, as well as potential safety nets for uninsured individuals who may need to access emergency rooms when they fall ill.

“Health care reform is a leading concern, and we’re seeing the candidates focus on what are the next steps,” says Orentlicher, who co-directs the program with Adjunct Professor Max Gakh. “Because voters are going to make [health care] a high priority, we want to make sure we inform them as best we can. Once again, we don’t advocate any position; we’re advocates for best practices. We’re basing policy on the data ... not having a particular ideology to promote.”

The upcoming conferences dedicated to health care follow similar discussions that took place in the past two years on two other critical health issues: the opioid crisis and cost containment.

The goal of the Health Law Program is to not only enlighten Boyd students in the classroom but also provide a consistent, nonpartisan resource for the community.

Orentlicher has partnered with such institutions as the Southern Nevada Health District in the effort.

“When we’re trying to choose which speakers to bring in or which conference topic to pick, we think about the issues that are important for the public,” Orentlicher says. “Opioids and health care costs were two big ones.

“That’s why you can’t become bored practicing [health law], because there’s always an important and interesting new challenge. Plus, there’s just so much at stake because people’s lives are often on the line. If it’s not their life, it’s their health—so getting it right really matters.”

WHO KNEW?

Let the Conversation Begin RACE, GENDER & POLICING PROGRAM ENCOURAGES THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION, SUBSTANTIVE ACTION ON A NATIONAL CONUNDRUM

BY KIKO MIYASATO Here’s a shocking number: 685,724.

That was the number of times that the New York City Police Department performed a stop-and-frisk in 2011, according to the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Even more startling: Almost 85 percent of the individuals whom officers stopped and interrogated were black or Latinx— with the vast majority deemed to be innocent.

It’s those types of statistics, and the desire to change them, that led Professor Frank Rudy Cooper to the create the Race, Gender & Policing Program at the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law. Now in his second year as a Boyd professor, Cooper has long been interested in the three-pronged subject, having written a number of articles on the topics, with a particular intellectual passion for identity and policing. The driving force for the program, which he directs, was the ongoing national conversation on police practices.

“It was sparked by a number of events during the last five years,” Cooper says.

“Most notably, the declaration that the NYPD stop-and-frisk program was [deemed] unconstitutional in Floyd v. the City of New York, a 2013 Southern District of New York court case.”

While the national discourse on policing was the impetus for Cooper to launch the program, it was conversations he had last fall with Addie Rolnick and Elizabeth MacDowell—fellow Boyd Law professors and co-facilitators of the program—that really got the ball rolling. Together, the trio discussed looking at the interconnected topics of race, gender, and policing with a critical eye—namely, how to work with both activists and law enforcement to create significant and positive change.

That led to a panel discussion of national experts that Cooper spearheaded in April. “It was an introduction to the pro-

From left: UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law Professors Stewart Chang, Elizabeth MacDowell, Frank Rudy Cooper, and Addie Rolnick head up the school’s Race, Gender & Policing Program. gram, where we discussed topics about immigrants and criminal law, policing, and sexual assault,” Cooper says. “We even talked about collective bargaining and how that affects police accountability, [as well as] policing in public schools— that gives a sense of how broadly we want to explore this.”

That exploration will continue throughout the academic year, as Cooper, Rolnick, and MacDowell—along with board members Stewart Chang, Michael Kagan, and Emily Troshynski—will welcome speakers and host panels about once a month, with events taking place both on the Boyd campus and in various community settings.

These discussions will consider such topics as the impact of police violence on a loved one, best practices for police de-escalation, and relationships between policing and

gender, which is a linchpin of the Race, Gender & Policing Program.

A larger, and equally important, goal is for the program to serve as a bridge between the police and the community.

“One way of thinking about it is, how is the law enforced—is it enforced the same regardless of the race of different people?

Or is it enforced in a way that’s sensitive to meaningful differences between people?

How does race and gender [affect] that?”

Cooper says. “We’d particularly like to have some of these events out in the community, [such as in] public libraries and community centers.

“We like the idea of inviting the students out into the community and inviting the community to meet with law enforcement in spaces that feel, hopefully, safe for everybody.”

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THE DOOR IS OPEN,

COME ON IN Interested in attending Boyd Law but don’t think it’s possible? Well, retired Nevada Supreme Court Justice Michael L. Douglas has a message for you: Think again!

By Steve Sebelius

LONG BEFORE BECOMING A NEVADA SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, and long before becoming the first African American to serve on the state’s highest court—even long before moving to Las Vegas in 1982 to continue a law career that started in Philadelphia—Michael L. Douglas was a youngster growing up in Los Angeles. It was there where the future Justice first developed an interest in law.

That interest was fostered independently, because as he was finding his way as a young man, Douglas didn’t know any lawyers. Nobody in his inner circle—no family members, no friends, not even any acquaintances—had ever gone to law school.

As a result, Douglas didn’t have access to a role model, somebody who could show him the way on his journey into law.

Now, after a long and distinguished legal career that’s spanned private practice, legal aid, and years on the bench, Douglas wants to be that role model—especially for members of underrepresented communities and first-generation students who aspire to study and practice the law. Which is why, in partnership with the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law, he’s created the Justice Michael L. Douglas PreLaw Fellowship Program.

Designed as a sort of law school road map, the program will debut at Boyd in summer 2020 and introduce college and even high school students to the idea that a career in law is achievable, then give them a real-life look at what law school is all about.

“How can you equip them to be successful?” Douglas asks. “For me, the term of art is ‘inclusion.’ Why not include all people eligible to be in the profession?”

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FOR MANY STUDENTS, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, the thought of becoming a lawyer may seem as realistic as working on the International Space Station—at least until someone with Douglas’ vast and impressive credentials can unshroud the mystery that surrounds a legal education. “We are all visual animals,” Douglas says.

Translation: It’s important for students contemplating their future to see people who are similar-looking having success in their fields of interest, be it law or any other vocation.

Douglas was inspired to launch a PreLaw Fellowship Program after reading about a program with similar goals. Convinced such an initiative could help both Nevada and its only law school, Douglas approached Boyd Law Dean Dan Hamilton. Not only did Hamilton embrace the idea, he knew of the perfect person to lead it: Douglas himself.

The program will work on two tracks, the first of which will debut next summer and target college students. Undergrads interested in participating in the one-week session at Boyd must partake in a selection process that will mimic actual law school: application, academic transcripts, and recommendation letters.

Those who make the cut will be assigned to a cohort consisting of 15-20 students and get to experience life as a law student, including taking classes taught by Boyd professors and learning about the expectations and demands law students face, especially the critical-thinking skills required of future lawyers. Current law students—those closer in age to the program’s participants— will also be involved in the weeklong program, giving peer-to-peer advice and sharing experiences, and fellows will get the opportunity to network with representatives from visiting law firms, the State Bar of Nevada, judges, and other key members of the state and local legal community.

Additionally, the agenda will include practical training, such as how to save money for law school, how to apply for scholarships and financial aid, how to prepare for the Law School Admissions Test [LSAT], and what college courses to take to best prepare for law school.

What will the students learn from Douglas?

“The first part is just getting prepared [for law school], getting in. And then once you get in, what do you need to do to succeed?” Douglas says. “Most people who get into law school are happy as hell just to

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From left: John Bailey, Michael L. Douglas, G. Roderick Booker, and Johnnie Rawlinson, pose in this undated photo promoting their membership in the Las Vegas chapter of the National Bar Association. have gotten [accepted], especially if it’s the school of their choice. But nobody tells you why you should try to get on the Law Review and why you should aim to graduate in the top 10 percent of your class, which all goes to [expanding career] possibilities after graduating.”

Indeed, those who finish in the top 10 percent of their class and emerge with solid résumés usually find a much smoother path to careers at top law firms, in prosecutor’s offices and, ultimately, on the bench.

But Douglas says this message is best delivered early in the law school application process, which is why it will be a key component of the PreLaw Fellowship Program.

Another piece of advice Douglas will disseminate: Law school is difficult and requires a great commitment of time and effort. But it’s also the best education that allows you to do almost anything in life. He notes that a law degree puts people in position to take care of themselves and their family, as well as help others in need. “Because law school teaches you how to think,” he says.

While the PreLaw Fellowship Program is open to all Nevada students, applications from youths in underrepresented communities are encouraged. That’s crucial not only to increase diversity within the state’s legal

community, but also to begin creating a deep pool of minority mentors for future generations of law students and young lawyers.

That latter point is particularly significant to Douglas, who recalls arriving in Las Vegas as a young lawyer in 1982, when less than a dozen African American attorneys were in town—in other words, it wasn’t easy to find a mentor to show him the ropes. Says Douglas rather matter-offactly: “You can’t gripe about the lack of minorities in law schools if you’re not willing to do something about it.”

The program’s second element will focus on outreach in high schools, where grades determine the quality of college a student can attend. These students will get the chance to take part in roundtable discussions with current Boyd students and professionals in the field of law. Special events also will be designed to remind students who might never have considered attending law school—for whatever reason—that the door to a legal career is open if they’re willing to put in the academic work.

Of course, building such an ambitious program requires support—fiscal and otherwise—from community partners. So Douglas reached out to the legal community and secured that support from a variety of individuals and entities, including three local law firms that have each agreed to sponsor one fellow.

John Delikanakis, a partner with Snell & Wilmer, says it was an easy decision for his firm to support Douglas’ program—not just out of a sense of civic duty, but also to cham-

pion diversity in the legal field, especially in a state that’s becoming ever more diverse.

Cultivating the success of young adults who have been traditionally underrepresented in law school will make recruiting minorities to his industry that much easier.

“It really is something we need to do,” Delikanakis says. “It takes time, but it’s worth it. The law is becoming a more diverse place, so if we can grow [the number of] sharp young people from the minority ranks, we should do it.”

John Bailey, managing partner of the Las Vegas-based firm Bailey Kennedy, which also is sponsoring a fellow, echoes the sentiment. “It’s a win-win for everybody,” he says of the PreLaw Fellowship Program.

“It’s been well-received, both by the legal community and the law school. It’s only going to grow and become an add-on to the Boyd experience.”

Unfortunately, with the exception of career fairs or other one-off events, firms like Snell & Wilmer and Bailey Kennedy have struggled to introduce underrepresented and first-generation students to careers in law. Douglas’ program aims to fix that by preparing students from those particular backgrounds for what it takes to succeed, while increasing the prospects that they’ll be admitted to, and ultimately graduate from, Boyd Law. As much as anything, Bailey is excited that the program will introduce students to the realities of law school and beyond. Providing a glimpse into what a life in law looks like will help students avoid embarking on a career they may end up resenting, he says.

Conversely, those who enjoy their experiences in the PreLaw Fellowship Program just might discover a love of law and yearn to practice it.

Thankfully, Rodriguez—a first-generation college and law school student—found a mentor who helped her navigate the admissions process, as well as a difficult first semester that she recalls as being “extremely intimidating.” Rodriguez ultimately persevered, earned her juris doctor from Boyd in 2013, and today is president of the Las Vegas Latino Bar Association.

“Had I had exposure to law school through a fellowship like this one, I would have prepared better for the LSAT, and I would have performed better my first semester,” Rodriguez says.

Through Rodriguez’s encouragement, the firm for which she works has also agreed to sponsor a fellow. Not only is Rodriguez proud of that decision, she’s eager to lend a helping hand as a member of the fellowship’s advisory board. “I am grateful to my mentor and feel a sense of duty to help others who may be in the same situation as I was,” she says. “I believe this program will open the law school doors to many who may not have otherwise pursued a legal career.”

That’s certainly the goal for Douglas, who has another message he wants to impart to young people in a state that has grown immensely in the last three decades, yet in many ways still operates just as it did a century ago. It’s a place where you can still get face time with your elected officials, interact with them, and network for future job prospects in ways that you can’t do in larger, more populous cities and states.

“Nevada still is a land of opportunity,” Douglas says. “And tomorrow’s future is today’s opportunity. This [program] is about creating opportunities for kids and showing them the possibilities. We can’t make everyone go to law school, nor is that the intent of this program. … But for some, law school is something they’ve never thought about. Nobody in the family, nobody they know, is a lawyer.”

But that soon will change, as a diverse group of high school and college students with a thirst for learning the law will have the opportunity to gain access to a man whose depth and breadth of legal knowledge is second to none—a man who has become the mentor he never had.

“Most people who get into law school are happy as hell just to have gotten [accepted] ... But nobody tells you why you should try to get on the Law Review and why you should aim to graduate in the top 10 percent of your class .”

MARISA RODRIGUEZ IS SOMEONE who knows all about that discovery and yearning. An attorney at the Las Vegas office of Weinberg, Wheeler, Hudgins, Gunn & Dial, Rodriguez completed her undergraduate degree at UNLV in 2004 and later got the itch to return to her alma mater to attend law school. However, faced with the daunting application process, she almost pulled the plug on the idea.

IT’S A LONG WAY TO THE TOP After relocating from Philadelphia to Las Vegas in 1982, Michael L. Douglas embarked on a career that ultimately reached the Nevada Supreme Court bench. Here’s a look at his journey through law in the Silver State: 1982: Attorney with Nevada Legal Services 1984: Attorney with the Civil Division of the Clark County District Attorney’s Office 1996: Appointed to the Eighth Judicial District Court Bench (retained in an election later the same year).

During his eight years on the District Court, he served as Chief Judge and Business Court Judge, and also served on District Court committees and Supreme Court Commissions March 2004: Appointed to the Nevada Supreme Court, becoming the first African American to serve on the state’s highest court. Ultimately is elected three times to retain his seat 2011 and 2018: Served two separate terms as Chief Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court

JUSTICE MICHAEL L. DOUGLAS FELLOWSHIP ADVISORY BOARD Judge Benes Aldana, The National Judicial College Professor Rachel Anderson, UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law John Bailey, Bailey Kennedy, LLP Renee Becker, Caesars Entertainment Judge Richard Boulware, U.S. District Court, District of Nevada Uri Clinton, MGM Resorts International Cedric Crear, Las Vegas City Council John Delikanakis, Snell & Wilmer Justice Michael Douglas, Justice for the Supreme Court of Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, State of Nevada Speaker Jason Frierson, Nevada State Assembly Tyre Gray, Fennemore Craig Christopher Guy, Judge Bonnie Bulla Marckia Hayes, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck Keith J.D. Hightower Representative Steven Horsford, U.S. Congress Judge Tierra Jones, Eighth Judicial District, Clark County Patricia Lee, Hutchison & Steffen Chief Judge Gloria Navarro, U.S. District Court, District of Nevada Marisa Rodriguez, Weinberg, Wheeler, Hudgins, Gunn & Dial Bryan Scott, City of Las Vegas Colin Seale, thinkLaw Professor John Valery White, UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law Judge Timothy Williams, Eighth Judicial District Court, Clark County, Nevada Frank Woodbeck, Nevada System of Higher Education

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INVESTING IN THE FUTURE FOUR SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS REFLECT ON HOW THE GENEROSITY OF OTHERS ALLOWED FOR THE PURSUIT OF THEIR LAW SCHOOL DREAMS—AND PUT THEM IN POSITION TO PAY IT FORWARD

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etaphorically, we know that life can change on a dime. Realistically, we know it takes way more actual dimes to change lives in our economically chal-

lenging times.

Which is why the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law consistently tries to turn metaphor into reality—the financial reality that makes dreams come true.

That dream-maker is known as a scholarship. And thanks to the largess of Boyd Law’s many donors, several aspiring lawyers who otherwise couldn’t afford law school get the opportunity to join Boyd Nation. In so doing, they get to attend a school created for vital, Nevada-specific reasons—including producing homegrown lawyers and policymakers who, having been educated in-state, are uniquely sensitive to our issues and needs. And uniquely qualified to address them.

Meet four students whose dreams are coming true, and who will have the ability to give back to our state, thanks to what scholarships gave to them.

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ALEEM DHALLA COMMERCIAL BREAKS SUPPORTED HIS FORMER LIFE. Commercial litigation powers it now.

“I was a producer for a TV show in L.A.,” says Dhalla, referring to his time as a showrunner for the travel show Lux Lifestyle, which under his watch was beamed into 12 million homes via the former Wealth TV (now AWE) network.

But that was then. This—post-Boyd graduation—is now.

“I got a full scholarship at Boyd, and it was really hard to turn down,” says the 33-year-old Dhalla, who is now an associate at the Las Vegas office of Phoenix-based law firm Snell & Wilmer.

A native of Great Britain who moved to Dallas when he was 4 years old, Dhalla had long nurtured the ambition of attending law school, but he took a different J.D., Class of 2016 career path following his 2008 graduation from Southern Methodist University with a degree in finance. “I thought that after I finished undergrad, I had a much wider array of things I could do, so I decided to work for five years before attending law school,” Dhalla says. “But then I thought, ‘No, law school is for me.’ I thought I was a pretty good writer and that I had the analytical skills needed to be a lawyer.”

Turns out he was right. And although he applied to—and was accepted by—a number of other law schools, it was Boyd’s scholarship offer that tipped the scales. “I didn’t want to have to work while going to school, and I also didn’t want to accrue living expenses or debt,” Dhalla says. “Thanks to the scholarship, I didn’t have to worry about getting a side job or making sure the positions I got in the summer paid really well.

“I didn’t do anything but focus on school and my studies, and having that scholarship really allowed me to do that. I think the terms were I had to maintain being in the top half [of my class ranking], so it really incentivized me to do really well in school—not that I needed even more incentive, but it really helped.”

With his financial burdens eased, Dhalla in 2015 took advantage of a summer associate program at Snell & Wilmer between his second and third years at Boyd, putting him on the employment runway for a law career that would take flight immediately upon graduating. “They have a very strong summer associate program [that showed me] what it would be like to work here full time, but on a lightened summer basis. It made me realize I really wanted to work here and stay in Las Vegas,” he says. “It was a great summer job, [and afterward] they made a full-time offer, so going into my third year I already had a job after I graduated. That really [solidified my] decision to stay here, plus I really like the city and how easy it is to live in. It’s the reason why anyone comes to Las Vegas and becomes a local.”

Today, Dhalla reflects on his decision to travel the Boyd path away from his travel-TV life with satisfaction—and a continuing relationship with the school. In addition to his membership in the school’s Alumni Leadership Circle, Dhalla has also judged moot court competitions, counseled students in the school’s Immigration Clinic, and has taken cases (pro bono) referred by the clinic, as well as through the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada. “I really appreciate that my firm supports my desire to do pro bono work, and those are some of my most rewarding cases,” he says.

Contributing to the Southern Nevada community this way, he says, would not have been possible without the scholarship that contributed—in fact, enabled—his training. “I really hadn’t thought beyond a few years after law school, how long I would be here,” he says. “But the fact remains that Nevada is a great place to live, and [Boyd] really pulled me into staying in Nevada. That’s exactly what scholarships are meant to do. They’re a great way to make sure that young people and future professionals move to Nevada. They play an important role in growing our community into what we really want it to be in the next 20 years.”

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CARMEN GILBERT SHE NEEDED A REASON TO STAY. She got it.

“When I got into Boyd and got the full-tuition scholarship, I knew right then that I was going to go,” says Gilbert, 32. “If it wasn’t for that, I would have started looking for work outside of Las Vegas and probably would have left. But because I’m now building my legal career here, I’m staying home.”

In September, Gilbert joined fellow Boyd graduate Dhalla by landing employment with the law firm of Snell & Wilmer. How easily it could have been different for the native Las Vegan.

Gilbert left her hometown for eight years, first to attend UNR (where she got an undergraduate degree in political science and international affairs), then the University of Washington (where she earned a master’s degree in public adminisJ.D., Class of 2019 tration), followed by a stint in the Peace Corps (where she was a municipal development adviser in Guatemala). Originally, her plan was to return home for a couple of years, then leave again. But as the clock ticked down toward what she thought would be her departure, she took note of a friend’s involvement in Boyd’s part-time program.

“I loved the idea of going back to school, but because I had already gotten a master’s degree and had significant student-loan debt, I couldn’t justify taking any more student loans to do so,” Gilbert says. “I applied [to Boyd] and took the LSAT [Law School Admissions Test], just to see what would happen.”

What happened was acceptance, a scholarship that turned that acceptance into a new life/career, and a chance to accomplish something different than in her previous job as a regional representative for then-U.S. Senator Harry Reid from 2013-15.

“When I was working for [Reid], one of my duties was to do constituent casework, mainly immigration,” Gilbert says. “But our role was educational—we couldn’t represent the constituent in any way or give legal advice.

That was really frustrating, because you see people who really need the help, but you can’t give it to them. I was tired of that frustration of not being able to help people the way I really wanted to, so I went to law school.”

At Snell & Wilmer, Gilbert will work in the corporate and securities practice group. Beyond the office, she also plans to join the Boyd Alumni Leadership Circle and give back to the law school that gave so much to her. But that giving back won’t stop there, as Gilbert intends to further support the Las Vegas community through pro bono work.

“I’m 32 and have had other jobs, but I’m just starting my legal career and it’s definitely a shift for me,” she says. “My career up to this point has always been in public service, so this is my first private-sector job. But there is such a wonderful legal community here, it’s so tight-knit. And the Boyd alumni network is incredible.”

Having recently taken the Nevada Bar Exam, Gilbert—who not long ago was on the verge of fleeing the Silver State, perhaps for good—has no intention of packing her bags anytime soon. “I’ve loved being back home in Las Vegas, and it’s reminded me of what makes this such a great place to live and build a life. It would be really hard to leave again.”

Thanks to a Boyd scholarship, she won’t have to—and her hope is that fellow natives who also have law school aspirations will follow in her footsteps.

“A scholarship can completely change the trajectory of somebody’s life,” Gilbert says. “It’s not just an investment in Boyd or a single student. It’s really an investment in our entire community.”

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ELVA CASTAÑEDA CALL HER ELVA. Or call her Madame President. Both are proper modes of address, considering Castañeda was elected last spring to a yearlong term as president of Boyd’s Student Bar Association.

“I’m interested in a lot of things right now,” says the 25-year-old California native, as she rattles off the far-flung legal interests that make her so ... presidential. “I’m pursuing a concentration in health law. But I’m also interested in immigration law and mass tort law, as well as personal injury law.”

Let’s say hail to the chief—and one of the chief reasons the chief is even here at all. “It really did make the difference,” Castañeda says about the scholarships she received, including a renewable scholarship that covers two-thirds of her tuition, as well as a one-time First Generation Professional Scholarship. “It was the final push I needed to go to law school.”

3L Boyd student After earning her undergraduate degree at the University of California, Riverside—located not far from her hometown of Norco, California—Castañeda intended to remain in her home state for her postgraduate studies. The good news: She was accepted into a school in Los Angeles. The not-so-good news: The $200,000 in student debt she anticipated she would rack up if she went there.

Faced with that harsh reality, Castañeda was persuaded that life in Las Vegas and an education at Nevada’s only law school offered a better future. After meeting Boyd Law Dean Daniel Hamilton and learning about potential financial-aid possibilities, Castañeda became convinced that attending Boyd would be much more financially feasible than going to school in Los Angeles. “Plus, the faculty wants to work with you here,” she says.

“Las Vegas won me over.”

Winning over her parents—even to the notion of continuing her education at all—was a tougher sell, given that her father didn’t go to middle school and her mother completed one year of high school. “So for them it was really foreign,” she says. “They were like, ‘You finished your undergraduate degree; why do you have to pursue a graduate degree?’ They didn’t understand the concept of continuing on. When I explained it, they were like, ‘So you’re going to choose this career that’s going to put you in even more debt?’ But once I told them I got the scholarship, it put them at ease.”

Also at ease is Castañeda’s bank account, one she had been building since she began working at age 16. Scholarships helped pay for her books and a move to a new state, even as she embarked on her first year since high school without a paycheck. “A lot of the stress students have concerning money and financial issues does affect our grades,” she says. “I saw an improvement in my grades my second semester [at Boyd]. Part of it was I learned how to study better, but I do think not having to worry about financial issues made a difference as well.”

Once she got settled in Las Vegas, she discovered that the law school’s community (and Las Vegas at-large) offered even more than financial relief.

“The opportunities are there,” Castañeda says. “You just have to go out and grab them.”

Which she did.

“When I started attending networking events and got to know people in the community and the school’s faculty, I realized that once you know one person, you really do start building a network that can connect you with other people. Growing up in California, it’s always go-go-go, kind of cutthroat. In Las Vegas it’s more unified; people want to help each other. I don’t think I would have made as many connections as I did if I had gone to [law] school in Los Angeles.”

Now, as Madame President, she has wisdom to share with students eager to duplicate her success: “I would tell them to definitely take the chance. It was a scary decision to go to law school and move out of state, but it really did open up a door to opportunities. Boyd is worth it on its own.”

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CHEYENNE KIDD THIS YEAR, THE DREAM BEGINS. “I’ve wanted to do law since I was little,” says Kidd, a 22-year-old Las Vegas native. “In high school, I wanted to go to law school to become a federal agent, to make my application stand out.”

Yet after earning a double-major degree in criminal justice and sociology from Texas Christian University, Kidd adjusted her career gaze.

“Thinking about law school more and the investment that it is, I decided I don’t want to do the investigative side; I just want to be an attorney and help people in that way,” she says. “When you do law enforcement, it’s more big-picture—you’re helping the greater good. Whereas as an attorney, you’re helping this person specifically. It’s more personalized.”

When she does complete her law degree, Kidd will be able to trace her ability to help 1L Boyd Student others to Boyd’s willingness to help her via a scholarship that covers two-thirds of her tuition. Though two California schools also offered Kidd scholarships, Boyd always had her heart—as long as it didn’t take a sledgehammer to her wallet.

“The decision to go to Boyd would have been so much more difficult without it,” Kidd says of the scholarship. “I knew I wanted to go here, but I also wanted to make the right financial decision. It’s a big investment. Student loans are no joke. But the people working in the financialaid office were amazing. Boyd was able to extend [the scholarship] further, and that made it the perfect choice.”

As an undergraduate in Texas, Kidd worked 20 hours per week to help cover school bills and pay fees for extracurricular activities such as clubs. Now that burden is a memory, as are her transportation concerns.

“I didn’t have a car at all before coming here,” she says. “But with the scholarship money covering tuition costs, I was able to afford a car to get back and forth to school and not worry.”

Though it might seem like scholarships are all cold dollars and cents, the reality is they can also enable the warmth of family relations. And nobody knows that more than Kidd.

“All of my family is from here, and I have two young nephews, so now I can be close to them, which is really important,” says Kidd, who when going to school in Texas could only return to Las Vegas for one weekend a month. “I missed a lot of their growing up. Now I can be there for their first day of school or baseball practice. Instead of watching Instagram videos—‘He got a home run!’—now I can see it with my own eyes.”

As she embarks on her life at Boyd, Kidd is already looking toward her future. Not only is she interested in exploring education law, but she’s already a member of the Organization of Women Law Students and plans to look into joining the Black Law Student Association. “Those two groups,” she says, “can really help support my two pieces of identity.”

As for those who helped make this journey possible, Kidd wants to make clear her gratitude, adding that those who give to the law school need to realize that their generosity not only helps Boyd students like her fulfill their dreams, but it also benefits the entire community.

“In this day and age, money is the maker,” Kidd says. “By awarding scholarship money, you’re giving others the opportunity to rise to the occasion. Having come from a single-parent household, I know that scholarships provide those who are less fortunate the opportunity to reach for their dreams.

“I wanted to be a lawyer since I was 8, and without this I wouldn’t be able to go to Boyd or be near my family. Someone gave me the best of both worlds, and I’m really thankful for that.”

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A Pathway to Justice NEW MISDEMEANOR CLINIC GIVES BOYD STUDENTS A CHANCE TO ASSIST CITIZENS THROUGH A DAUNTING LEGAL EXPERIENCE. THE RESULT IS OFTEN A NEW LEASE ON LIFE | BY PATRICK EVERSON

ince its opening 21 years ago, the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law has been guided by a singular mission: to positively impact the community well beyond the classroom walls. That mission has been accomplished through the development of a curriculum, programs, and clinics that have not only produced more than 2,500 successful alumni, but also served the legal needs of thousands of individuals throughout the state of Nevada.

But it’s the most recent program, launched a year ago, that very well may turn out to be the law school’s most impactful of all: the Misdemeanor Clinic.

While more citizens interact with misdemeanor law than any other legal classification, many often find court dates and related expenses—such as missing work, finding childcare, and, of course, potential court fees and fines—far more burdensome than the term “misdemeanor” suggests. Making matters worse, most people charged with a misdemeanor really don’t understand their rights. One of those rights? While not entitled to legal counsel, nobody is required to navigate the legal system alone. And that’s where the Misdemeanor Clinic comes into play.

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nder the direction of professors Eve Hanan and Anne Traum, the clinic was unveiled last fall to help those most vulnerable in the court system overcome the legal obstacles associated with misdemeanors. And because 2L and 3L Boyd students are the ones offering pro bono assistance to those in need, the clinic also provides young lawyers the opportunity to gain valuable experience and insight into the complicated world of misdemeanor law.

“Our objective is to really offer students a clinical experience where they do bread-and-butter defense work on a case,” Hanan says. “Our students will probably start their careers in misdemeanor cases, so our clinic aims to offer students the chance to delve into cases more deeply, before they are carrying high caseloads as practicing attorneys.”

Besides working directly with their clients, Boyd students involved with the Misdemeanor Clinic also interact with investigators.

That interaction might even include visiting the scene of incidents, taking photos, and/or interviewing witnesses. It’s the type of handson experience that’s critical to law students before they embark on careers in which they likely will have heavy caseloads, making it difficult to devote as much time to a single case like they can in the Misdemeanor Clinic.

“With the clinic, students can really work up a case and strategize to get a fair disposition. It’s hard to do that in a world of high caseloads,” Hanan says. “This is the type of work that occurs in major felony cases, but cases with lower stakes and issues can be just as complicated.

Anne and I both have high caseload experience, so this program gives us the opportunity to share techniques and best practices with the students, who then apply those to these cases.”

A key component of the Misdemeanor Clinic is giving students face time in a courtroom. But perhaps more important is what the program asks of students as they work to build their case prior to going before a judge—often, Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Diana Sullivan, whose

Boyd Law Professor Eve Hanan

“We’ve had instances where students knew things that nobody else knew,” Hanan says. “In one case, we set up a meeting with the assistant district attorney and shared that information early on. The assistant DA reviewed the information and discussed it with a supervisor before ultimately agreeing to dismiss the case before the next hearing was ever held.”

Misdemeanors constitute what many perceive as “minor” violations, such as parking, traffic and trespassing citations, petty theft,

“OUR STUDENTS WILL PROBABLY START THEIR CAREERS IN MISDEMEANOR CASES, SO OUR CLINIC AIMS TO OFFER STUDENTS THE CHANCE TO DELVE INTO CASES MORE DEEPLY, BEFORE THEY ARE CARRYING HIGH CASELOADS AS PRACTICING ATTORNEYS.” courtroom is home base for the clinic.

“When you have the luxury of time, you have to learn what to do out of court in order to maximize that limited time in court,” Traum says.

“As professionals, they’d normally not get that time for each case. So we’re helping them develop a laundry list of things to do in a case and how to work with a client.”

The process begins with students obtaining a police report and statement of charges. Then they ask themselves, “What do we do next?” The answer always involves talking to the clients to better understand their specific predicament—conversations that often lead to revelations that can very much work in a defendant’s favor.

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simple assault, vandalism, etc. But these relatively minor violations can lead to major consequences, including conviction and substantial fines. Even modestly time-consuming misdemeanor cases can significantly affect a person’s ability to work, drive, or care for family members.

For those who can’t afford legal representation—or aren’t even aware that they’re allowed to secure counsel—unresolved misdemeanors can result in significant personal trauma. Alleviating, if not eliminating, that trauma is the Misdemeanor Clinic’s primary objective. While the program is only a year old, Boyd students have already secured eye-opening positive outcomes for clients.

Boyd Law Professor Anne Traum

Among them: • Dismissal of charges, stemming from an extended traffic stop, of lying to a police officer • Dismissal, on the day of trial, of a battery charge against a client who was actually the victim of road rage • Dismissal of charges against a client whose identity was stolen by the real perpetrator • Withdrawal of a guilty plea for a client whose previously retained counsel entered a guilty plea without the client’s knowledge or permission Of course, not every positive outcome is about dismissals.

Some defendants understand they were in the wrong and are willing to admit as much. But the resulting penalties and/or sanctions often might not fit the crime, or may be difficult or even impossible for the defendant to meet. And if the defendant fails to honor a court ruling, regardless of the reason, a misdemeanor could turn into an arrest warrant, which can lead to even more legal roadblocks.

So in cases where a guilty plea is entered, it’s critical that defendant get a resolution that he or she can actually fulfill. Which is why the Misdemeanor Clinic, as a matter of practice, maintains contact with clients even after cases are settled to ensure that those clients are living up to the agreed-upon resolution.

“We’re working for an outcome that doesn’t result in unanticipated

jail time later,” Hanan says. “A person without counsel would usually accept what the judge offers. Let’s say it’s a fine. Later, if that person can’t pay the fine, they’re likely to be picked up on a warrant and spend a weekend or longer in jail. Really, the right to counsel is a missing piece of the [misdemeanor] puzzle.”

Adds Traum: “Our No. 1 goal is to avoid a conviction. And the other goal is to get the most suitable outcome.”

Marc Kustner and Alexis Wendl, who both graduated from Boyd School of Law this past spring, were among the six students who participated in the initial Misdemeanor Clinic in the fall semester of the 2018-19 academic year. Both Kustner and Wendl praised the clinic for providing them vital real-world legal experience, but more importantly, for allowing them to serve defendants who were in dire need of assistance.

“We were working with individuals who would be looking at jail sentences, and they weren’t granted an attorney,” Kustner says. “We also dealt with [individuals who] weren’t in a financial position to hire an attorney or had no idea what their options were. They didn’t know that they could say ‘no’ to these deals. They didn’t know they had options. They just thought they had to accept it.

“Some people do want to accept responsibility [for misdemeanor infractions], but for us students, it was making sure it was the proper level of accountability. For somebody in a tough financial position, that meant working out a community service option instead of [paying] a monetary fee. They’re still accepting accountability, but this provides a realistic option for what [the defendants] can handle. It was neat getting to help those people.”

It’s invaluable experience, particularly right before students graduate and launch a legal career that will feature countless attorney-client relationships.

“The types of cases we got to handle and the kind of work we were able to do—interviewing clients and witnesses, watching body-cam footage, working with investigators, and going over evidence—was unique,” Wendl says. “But the best part, without question, was actually helping clients. These are real people with real concerns.

Having the opportunity to speak in court on behalf of my client, I felt like an attorney advocating for my client. Because of the clinic, I will have an advantage going forward into my litigation career. It’s a definite leg up.”

As Wendl, Kustner and their professors all attested, that leg up was made possible through the generosity of time and assistance from the Misdemeanor Clinic’s community partners: Judge Sullivan and her staff; the district attorney’s office, specifically Deputy District Attorney Alex Chen and his team; and the public defender’s office, specifically Chief Public Defenders Jeffrey Rue and Julia Murray and the training division team.

“We relied on all of them to give us the information to get us to the right people,” Traum says. “They were incredibly cooperative.”

Thanks to that established partnership, as well as several success stories from the clinic’s inaugural year, Hanan and Traum enter year two with confidence that the program they created is indeed making a difference for Clark County’s citizens. And at least one recent Boyd alum is excited for the clinic’s future and its potential growth beyond its current fall semester offering.

After all, the wheels of justice never stop turning.

“The Misdemeanor Clinic was one of the best experiences I had in my three years of law school, and I’m really hoping [it expands to] year-round,” Kustner says, noting that counsel can assist greatly even in cases where law enforcement and the courts perfectly follow the letter of the law, and more so in the instances when procedures aren’t properly employed. “There are times when policies aren’t followed, and constitutional rights are violated. The clinic allows us to hold people accountable to the Constitution and state law on these misdemeanor cases, just as in high-profile cases. It allows us to make sure that proper rights are given to every individual.”

“OUR NO. 1 GOAL IS TO AVOID A CONVICTION.”

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SCHOLARSHIPS, PRESENTATIONS, AND OTHER NEWS

FACULTY FOCUS

Taking a ‘Write’ Turn E.L CORD PROFESSOR OF LAW KATHY STANCHI BRINGS HER IMPRESSIVE CREDENTIALS WEST TO JOIN BOYD’S TOP-RANKED LEGAL WRITING FACULTY

BY PAUL SZYDELKO One of the first items Kathy Stanchi unpacked in her office when she arrived on UNLV’s campus was a desk nameplate with the late social media sensation Grumpy Cat asserting the stern message, “NOPE.” It’s a conspicuous reminder for visitors not to always expect the answer they want to hear.

But Stanchi wants to make one thing clear: She’s very happy she said “yes” to the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law and her new position as an E.L. Cord Professor of Law. After teaching for 23 years at the Temple University Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia, Stanchi and her husband made the move West this summer after she accepted an offer to teach Lawyering Process, a field for which Boyd is nationally known. This fall, she’s overseeing two sections of Lawyering Process 1 (a required first-year course), and come the spring semester she will teach Lawyering Process 3 to upperlevel students.

One reason Stanchi decided to embark on this new adventure is she got a taste of both the law school and its Lawyering Process Program as a visiting scholar in 2012. During that visit, Stanchi developed an appreciation for how dedicated Boyd is to the art of legal writing, as well the freedom given to professors who teach the skill—in essence, a new way of approaching problem-solving.

“Writing is of course enormously important to virtually every type of law practice that you can imagine,” Stanchi says. “Not just drafting and being able to write a document but the kind of critical thinking that comes with reading and evaluating a document that somebody else has written and recognizing the weaknesses in that piece of writing, whether it’s a contract or a real estate agreement or whatever.”

Interested in rhetoric and persuasion at an early age, Stanchi worked on local and national political campaigns while she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of Pennsylva30

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nia. She worked with a group to change that state’s rape law, which did not make it a crime for a man to sexually assault his wife. That effort, which gained legislative approval but was vetoed by Pennsylvania’s governor, convinced Stanchi that she needed to speak the legal language, which led to the pursuit of a law degree from the Boston University School of Law. From there, Stanchi embarked on a distinguished career of teaching and writing, with her prolific contributions being recognized in June when she received the Linda L. Berger Lifetime Achievement Award in Legal Writing Scholarship (an award named in honor of Boyd’s esteemed Family Foundation Professor of Law). The honor holds particularly special meaning for Stanchi, not just because Berger is a close friend, co-editor and co-author, but also because it signifies how far up the respect ladder legal-writing scholars have climbed.

As one might expect from a passionate legal writer, Stanchi’s scholarship is vast, including a noteworthy collaboration with Berger, Bridget Crawford, and dozens of other scholars to rewrite 25 U.S. Supreme Court decisions from a feminist perspective. Inspired by similar efforts in Canada and the U.K., Feminist Judgments: Rewritten Opinions of the United States Supreme Court was first published by Cambridge University Press in 2016. Stanchi is currently editing a follow-up series on rewritten legal options with regard to tax law, family law, trusts and estates, torts, property law, corporations, health law, and employment-discrimination law—all from a feminist perspective.

FACULTY FOCUS

FACULTY AWARDS This summer, Samuel S. Lionel Professor of Intellectual Property Law Professor Marketa Trimble was elected to membership in the American Law Institute. With Judge Jack and Lulu Lehman Professor of Law Stacey Tovino’s election last summer, this is the second consecutive year that a Boyd faculty member has earned this prestigious recognition. The American Law Institute is the leading independent organization in the United States producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize, and otherwise improve the law. Election to the Institute is among the highest honors a law professor can receive, and Professors Trimble and Tovino join fellow fulltime and part-time faculty members Christopher Blakesley, Judge Richard Boulware, Judge Jennifer Dorsey, Leslie Griffin, Fancine Lipman, Nancy Rapoport, Thomas Main, Dr. David Orentlicher, Keith Rowley, Jeffrey Stempel, and John Valery White, along with alumna Rosa Solis-Rainey, as Boyd representatives.

In the classroom, Stanchi instructs her students to be spare, yet precise, writers.

But she is almost poetic when describing the feminist judgment in Bradwell v. Illinois, which reawakened her appreciation for the “beautiful and radical concept embodied in our Constitution’s 14th Amendment,” adopted in 1868. However, she says the country still lives with the ramifications of early efforts to limit the impact of that Amendment’s language.

“The reason many of us came to the law was because of its vast potential to do good, and that has so often been thwarted,” she says. “It’s nice to see examples of the law’s potential to [achieve] social justice, which was a primary goal of the Feminist Judgments project.”

Professor Stacey Tovino received the UNLV Top Tier Award, which is a university-wide honor given to faculty members who demonstrate excellence in all five areas of UNLV’s Top Tier Mission, including research and external funding, teaching excellence and student achievement, academic health center growth, infrastructure and shared governance, and community partnerships.

Professor Kathy Stanchi, E.L. Cord Professor of Law, received the 2019 Linda Berger Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Legal Writing Directors. The award, named in honor of Boyd’s own Professor Linda Berger, is the highest recognition the Association bestows. Professor Stanchi joins Boyd’s prestigious legal writing program, which has been ranked No. 1 in the nation each of the past two years.

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FACULTY FOCUS

Feeling Right at Home PROFESSOR AND ASSOCIATE DEAN SARA GORDON COMBINES HER TWO PASSIONS OF PSYCHOLOGY AND LAW TO EFFECTIVELY SERVE HER HOMETOWN LAW SCHOOL

BY PAUL SZYDELKO Coming from a family that boasted several lawyers and teachers, Sara Gordon quickly found an ideal intersection as a professor at the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law. A Las Vegas native, Gordon earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Pitzer College in Claremont, California, before heading to the University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law for her juris doctor.

While practicing with the firm Hale Lane Peek Dennison & Howard (now Holland & Hart) in Las Vegas, Gordon stepped back into the classroom at Boyd in the role of adjunct professor and quickly discovered that teaching law was her true calling.

Arriving on campus in 2006, Gordon initially taught legal writing and now teaches evidence, criminal law, and mental health law, receiving tenure last year. And as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs since 2018, Gordon is also responsible for preparing the academic schedule, working with adjunct professors, and ensuring that fellow faculty members have the resources they need.

Gordon’s delight in being part of the Boyd Law family is perhaps surpassed only by the impact she’s had on her students; many of them keep her updated on their careers, and several have returned to the school as adjunct professors.

“I’ll have [former] students email me and say, ‘I clerked for a judge this year, and I didn’t realize how much I learned in class until I saw it in the courtroom,” Gordon says,’” Gordon says. “I love hearing from students, and feedback like that is really gratifying.”

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strange for someone who had an early academic interest in psychology to follow a career path that led to being a law school professor and administrator. Yet Gordon is quick to note that her psychology background has continued to play a big factor in her scholarship interests.

For instance, she points to the challenges facing drug courts (those that divert defendants out of criminal courts to provide treatment) and how people with substanceuse disorders should be treated in the legal system, which was the subject of a paper she recently authored.

“The medical community has only recently started catching up to what addiction is and how it should be appropriately treated,” she says. “Many judges and lawyers aren’t there yet,” she said. “There’s a real discontent between what we know about effectively treating people with addiction, which is a mental illness, and the treatment defendants receive in drug and other specialty courts.”

Another paper she wrote discussed how courts should deal with the prevalence of cooccurring disorders. “If you have one diagnosable mental health condition,” she says, “it is more likely than not that you have some other physical or mental health condition.”

While Gordon acknowledges that it will take time for the legal system to catch up with the scientific community, she mentions how studies have shown that it’s more effec-

tive to treat such conditions simultaneously.

There are also a handful of co-occurring disorder courts that have shown promise by redirecting defendants to integrated treatment programs, with the idea that doing so will improve outcomes and reduce recidivism.

Needless to say, Gordon has found the interplay between mental illness and the law to be intriguing. “It’s been satisfying to see how my general interest in psychology and my love of law teaching have really dovetailed,” she says.

Just as fascinating to Gordon has been the way in which the law school and its alumni have grown and are now impacting her community. When she was looking to attend law school, Boyd was in its infancy and had yet to attain accreditation. Then when she first started teaching, Boyd was essentially an adolescent.

However, now entering its third decade, Boyd Law is producing alumni who are making a difference throughout the Silver State as judges, legislators, and leaders in other industries. Thanks in part to those accomplishments, more and more natives who consider pursuing a law degree are viewing Boyd as a very viable option.

That’s forged what Gordon calls a “symbiotic relationship” that she believes will only continue to benefit the community. “The law school,” she says, “is a great way to keep good talent here.”

FACULTY FOCUS

Back in the Saddle PROFESSOR JOE REGALIA RETURNS TO BOYD AND BRINGS WITH HIM A PASSION FOR LEGAL WRITING HE HOPES TO PASS ON TO HIS STUDENTS

BY PAUL SZYDELKO Joe Regalia’s students might not be overly impressed by the 4.05 GPA he produced at the University of Michigan Law School, which earned him summa cum laude honors. And maybe they’re not roused by his clerkships for U.S. District Courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

But certainly, Regalia’s work with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, among other law firms, impels students to peer over their laptops, engage with the professor, and bolster the tools they need to be effective lawyers in the 21st century.

That’s because Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is the Palo Alto, California-based firm that took Apple public and was featured in the film The Social Network. While there, Regalia represented such clients as Google, Groupon, and Tesla on issues related to patent litigation, trademark, and intellectual property.

That experience, as well as the workshops he’s conducted with judges and attorneys throughout the country, has helped Regalia get students to appreciate the value of legal writing—a discipline for which the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for the last two years by U.S. News & World Report.

“We’re lucky at Boyd that a lot of folks come here because they know the secret: Those practical [legal writing] skills are what get them jobs and make them successful,” says Regalia, who will teach Lawyering Process beginning in January. “Writing is so elemental and integral to every type of legal practice.”

“We’re lucky at Boyd that a lot of folks come here because they know the secret: Practical legal writing skills are what get them jobs and make them successful.”

Boyd’s commitment to legal writing—as well as its nontraditional culture, the goaloriented students it attracts, and Nevada’s entrepreneurial spirit—are among the reasons Regalia left the Loyola University Chicago School of Law to return to the law school, where he previously taught as an adjunct professor from 2015-17. Regalia was also impressed by Boyd’s willingness to incorporate technology and innovation into its legal writing curriculum.

To that latter point, Regalia stresses that today’s law students must master not only basic computer skills but other mature technologies such as electronic discovery, analytics, and artificial intelligence. They must also be open to working with coders and others on innovations that create value for firms and clients, as well as to better understand the ever-growing legal consequences of each piece of technology.

“Lawyers have to step out of their traditional roles,” he says. “It’s not just a matter of using simple or advanced tools; you have

to adopt a mindset of a little bit of an entrepreneur, a little bit of a business person, [and] a little bit of a regulator to play a very different role than we used to.”

Regalia’s lengthy list of career accomplishments also includes the founding of his Pro Se Boot Camp, which is designed to help those who frequently deal with the court system navigate the legal process without an attorney. Through the camp, individuals who are homeless or in such populations as women’s shelters, prisons, and rehabilitation programs receive help developing skills to gain a better understanding of the legal system.

Also, as a contributing editor for the Law Professor Blogs Network, Regalia pens a regular legal writing column that’s often one of the site’s most-read articles.

Additionally, Regalia is working with a team of lawyers to create an online interactive legal writing training platform for law students and lawyers; currently in the midst of beta testing, he expects the training platform to launch on Write.Law in 2020 and feature short videos, interactive lessons, and quizzes focused on lawyering techniques and practices.

For Regalia, everything comes back to a passion for teaching a vital legal skill. “It’s much harder to change writing than it is anything else among habits and practices,” he says. “But at Boyd, students undergo a significant transformation because we focus so much on the writing, and there’s so much to work on and build up.”

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FACULTY FOCUS

Teaching Locally, Thinking Globally FORMER BOYD DEAN JOHN VALERY WHITE IS BACK IN THE CLASSROOM, BUT HIS INFLUENCE EXTENDS FAR BEYOND THE LAW SCHOOL’S CAMPUS

BY PAUL SZYDELKO He has held stately titles such as Acting Chancellor for the Nevada System of High Education, Strategic Advisor to the President at UNLV, Executive Vice President and Provost at UNLV, and Dean of the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law. That said, John Valery White wants to remind everyone he’s still a professor at heart.

While acknowledging that his past administrative roles were satisfying, White says leading a classroom relies on another set of skills he finds intellectually stimulating. “It’s reconstructing this thing you’re certain you know, but you reconstruct it every day and you find new things that you weren’t so sure that you knew before,” says 34

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White, who is teaching two sections of torts this fall. “[Teaching] has a service component—you’re close to the students, you can see them developing. And all those things are fulfilling.”

White grew up in Plaisance, Louisiana, an unincorporated village north of Lafayette. His father was a civil rights attorney, and in early integration efforts he handled desegregation cases and defended teachers in due process hearings. Influenced by his father’s activism and always interested in writing, White got his undergraduate degree in political science at Southern University in Baton Rouge. He earned his juris doctor at Yale Law School and soon landed a job at LSU, where he taught subjects related to civil rights, federal jurisdiction, and torts for 15 years before arriving at UNLV in 2007.

In addition to his work in the classroom, White is a robust presence in legal academia and scholarship. He promotes diversity in law school admissions through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), which has almost 200 member schools in

the U.S, Canada, and Australia. Besides administering the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the not-for-profit organization provides other products and services to assist law schools and their applicants.

White has been an LSAC committee member since 2011, a board member since 2015, and now chairs the Investment Committee, whose efforts ensure the organization’s financial stability in a competitive landscape.

LSAC’s mission hits home in Nevada, where an increasingly diverse population isn’t always reflected in law school enrollment numbers. That’s why Boyd partners with LSAC and other organizations to nurture pipeline programs that serve both Nevada students and the state’s population by attracting even more talent to be lawyers here.

“Nevada has a very small number of people who apply to law school in any given year—less than 400, usually,” White says.

“While that’s more than twice the number of students than we admit, it’s not a very big pool to draw from. … Part of our challenge as a law school is to help promote the talented high school students to go to college, have success, come to law school if that’s what they desire, and become lawyers.”

Among White’s other passions is the study of civil rights law, which he called “moribund” in a 2003 paper. “What I’m getting at now is that [civil rights law] is available—it’s just that it’s not very useful,” he says. “It’s been transformed into something aimed at maintaining and buttressing the status quo.”

As a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, White also finds ways to address global issues, just as he did as an Orville Schell Fellow for the Human Rights Watch after earning his law degree at Yale. Today, White pursues his interest in how legal systems are responding to the challenges of globalization, including how effectively nations integrate newcomers.

Another kind of integration has piqued White’s interest in recent years: drones, and their related safety and security issues, especially in the busy skies above airports.

Working with the nonprofit Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems, he assists the State of Nevada in developing drone-related policy. “It’s about helping the state’s economic development efforts in an area that’s tricky, because the integration of drones raises security and privacy issues, and yet it’s something that has been [growing] rapidly outside the regulatory space.”

WHAT HAPPENS AT BOYD ... IN PICTURES

THE GALLERY

COMMENCEMENT

U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (left) delivered the keynote address to more than 125 J.D. and LL.M. graduates, including Caleb Green (below, center) at the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law commencement on May 17.

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WHAT HAPPENS AT BOYD ... IN PICTURES

THE GALLERY

UNLV WILLIAM S. BOYD SCHOOL OF LAW 20TH ANNIVERSARY GALA

On December 1, 2018, Boyd Nation came together at Bellagio for the 20th anniversary of the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law. The evening brought together faculty, alumni, students, community leaders, and elected officials to not only celebrate the law school but to hear a keynote talk from former Vice President Joseph Biden.

Joseph R. Biden, 47th Vice President of the United States, delivers the evening’s keynote speech.

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Founding Dean Dick Morgan addresses the audience and recalls the early years of Nevada’s law school.

THE GALLERY

Young Alumni Award Honoree Samantha Reviglio (J.D., ’16) addresses the crowd.

Former Nevada Governor and UNLV Boyd Distinguished Fellow in Law and Leadership Brian Sandoval gives welcoming remarks.

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WHAT HAPPENS AT BOYD ... IN PICTURES

THE GALLERY

Professor Nancy Rapoport, Distinguished Service Alumni Award Honoree Cassie Stratford (J.D., ’08), and Professor John Valery White.

Professor Nancy Rapoport, Alumna of the Year and District Court Judge Brenda Weksler (J.D., ’02), and Professor John Valery White.

Professor Nancy Rapoport, Alumni Volunteer Leadership Award Honoree Judge Tierra Jones (J.D., ’06), and Professor John Valery White.

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THE GALLERY

Above, the law school’s namesake, William S. Boyd, is honored for his ongoing support and vision.

At right, founding Dean Dick Morgan, former UNLV President Carol Harter, Dean Dan Hamilton, William S. Boyd, Professor Nancy Rapoport, and Professor John Valery White.

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WHAT HAPPENS AT BOYD ... IN PICTURES

THE GALLERY

U.S. SENATOR CORY BOOKER

On October 24, 2018, U.S. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey visited the law school and spoke to students and faculty about their power as advocates and their ability to live a more impactful life in order to make a difference.

FINDING COMMON GROUND ON GUN SAFETY

U.S. SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS

The law school’s Black Law Student Association hosted a conversation with U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California on November 2, 2018. Speaking just before the midterm elections, Senator Harris addressed the ideals and aspirations that bind our country

After the tragic events of 1 October, the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law launched a series of discussions titled “Finding Common Ground on Gun Safety” with a goal to engage in a dialogue about legal and legislative solutions for reducing gun violence. Guest speakers in the series have included California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (above left) and U.S. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut (above right).

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THE GALLERY

DONALD MCGAHN

On April 9, the law school welcomed Donald McGahn, former White House Counsel for President Donald Trump. After meeting with students and faculty, he spoke about the evolution and polarization of the judicial nomination process since 1980.

SPRING FLING

Boyd Law students, alumni, faculty, and friends came together on April 13, 2019, for an afternoon of softball, barbecue, and family-friendly activities at the 10th Annual Spring Fling.

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KEEPING UP WITH BOYD ALUMNI

CLASS ACTIONS

2001 Governor Steve Sisolak appointed attorney Rosa Solis-Rainey to the Nevada Gaming Commission in April 2019. Rosa is managing partner of Morris Law Group. Her office will be in Las Vegas.

2002 Brenda Weksler has been selected to serve as a United States Magistrate and U.S. District Judge in Las Vegas. The announcement was made by then-Chief Judge Gloria M. Navarro of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada. Brenda’s investiture was August 13 on the UNLV campus.

2003 Dennis Gutwald was elevated from Of Counsel to Partner at McDonald Carano, Las Vegas. This promotion occurred in early 2019.

Sandra Douglass Morgan was appointed as the chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, becoming the first woman of color to hold the position.

From left: Richard S. Madril (LL.M., ’17), Linda A. Madril (LL.M., ’17), Alannah T. Ariel (LL.M., ’16)

Heather Procter is Chief Deputy Attorney General Post-Conviction Unit for the State of Nevada Office of the Attorney General. Heather lives in Reno.

2004 Shane Jasmine Young is the founder of the Young Law Group in Las Vegas and recently moved to a new office location. Her practice focuses on estate planning, kids’ protection planning, business, and personal Injury. Shane is also a member-at-large on the Boyd School of Law Alumni Chapter Board.

2006 Kelley N. Goldberg joins Bodman PLC’s Grand Rapids, Michigan, office, where she focuses on Intellectual Property Law and Entertainment Law. Prior to her move to Michigan, Kelley worked at Intel Corporation in Santa Clara, California.

Sharon Byram Rigby serves on the Nevada Tax Commission as the mining industry member. She lives in Elko.

Karl Rutledge, a Partner and Chairman at Gaming Industry Group, was honored as one of the 40 under 40

by Vegas Inc. 42

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Three of a Kind SISTERS ALANNAH ARIEL AND LINDA MADRIL, AND THEIR FATHER, RICHARD MADRIL, WENT ALL-IN ON BOYD’S LL.M. IN GAMING LAW AND REGULATION

BY PAUL SZYDELKO Alannah T. Ariel first developed a fascination for gaming while growing up in Arizona, where family card games were a regular occurrence and her grandmother dealt knowledge with the same enthusiasm as she did a hand of seven-card stud.

“She didn’t teach us how to sew,” Ariel recalls. “She taught us how to play poker. And we did not go to Disneyland for vacations. We

went to Las Vegas!”

Which explains why, when the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law established a master’s program (LL.M.) in Gaming Law and Regulation in 2016, Ariel was as anxious to enroll in the inaugural class as a she would be scooping up a pot after winning a poker hand. Having already earned her juris doctor from the Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Ariel attended Boyd full time in 2015-16, com-

pleting the 24-credit program in a year.

“I learned all about gaming’s ins and outs and all the newest [gaming-related legal] issues that were at the forefront at that time,” Ariel says.

Her Boyd experience was so positive, in fact, that Ariel convinced two fellow law school graduates to follow in her footsteps: her sister, Linda A. Madril, and their father, Richard S. Madril, both of whom earned an

LL.M in Gaming Law and Regulation in 2017.

“I chose to go because it’s in Las Vegas, which is the mecca of casino gaming, which therefore makes it the mecca of casino gaming law,” says Linda Madril, who, like her sister, received her J.D. from the Southern University Law Center. “Being able to learn from industry leaders and discuss policy and law with them, I thought was important. I liked being in the [field of ] gaming law, and I wanted to do something that was going to keep me there.”

While attending Boyd was more or less a no-brainer for two sisters passionate about the gaming industry, Richard Madril’s journey to campus was slightly less straightforward. Having already been practicing non-gaming-related law as an attorney for more than two decades in Tucson, Arizona, he was simply looking to expand his legal knowledge and add a new area of expertise.

“I had done a lot of criminal law, personal injuries, contracts, and taxation,” he says. “I went in [to the LL.M. program] wanting to get my feet wet and see what was new. What I learned was how the gaming industry works.”

Not surprisingly, all three family members have put their Boyd degrees to good use. Ariel and Linda Madril are president and vice president, respectively, of Las Vegas-based ATA International Gaming Consultants. The firm provides advice about the industry and represents gaming clients before regulatory bodies.

Meanwhile, Richard Madril— who obtained his J.D. at the School of Law at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas—now works with Indian gaming operations in California, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Richard Madril is quick to point out—and his daughters concur— that because Nevada is the “gold standard” of gaming regulation that’s emulated around the world, their LL.M. degrees carry significant clout. “The minute you talk about gaming and they know you

“It was a unique experience, one I would take over and over again, given the connections I’ve made. And that’s a big thing here. Vegas is a small town with a big city in it, and the law school connects you throughout the entire community.”

Alannah Ariel, LL.M. ’16

have an LL.M. from Boyd, that raises eyebrows right away,” he says. “They know whatever you say, you know what you’re talking about.”

Boyd’s LL.M. in Gaming Law and Regulation program is open to those who already hold a J.D., a bachelor of laws, or other recognized initial law degree, and students can opt to complete the 24 credits (12 required, 12 elective) on one of two tracks—a full-time, one-year pace or a part-time, twoyear schedule.

Along the way, those students get to learn from internationally recognized gaming industry professionals and regulators about a variety of gaming-specific topics, including regulation, sports betting, licensing, employment relations, and zoning.

Students also get the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through externships with several major public agencies, including the Nevada Gaming Control Board, the Nevada Gaming Commission, the Clark County District Attorney’s office, Nevada Attorney General’s office, and various local law firms. Gaming companies such as Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, William Hill, Scientific Games, GameCo, and Aristocrat also participate.

The program, which incorporates cutting-edge research on problem gaming, employment law, and data management, also collaborates with the university’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality, International Gaming Institute, and its Center for Gaming Research.

CLASS ACTIONS

One area of the program that was particularly intriguing to Linda Madril was the licensing aspect of gaming in which new applicants must submit to exhaustive background checks and clear numerous regulatory hurdles. “I’ve been going to casinos since I was 21, so I knew the patron part of it,” she says. “But I didn’t realize how much work and effort went in to somebody actually getting a gaming license.”

For her part, Ariel was mostly surprised by the relative adolescence of anti-money-laundering laws. “The fact that the IRS knew so little about an industry that’s making so much money shocked me,” she says, adding that new money-laundering laws have quickly changed the entire banking system. “You can’t just go in and deposit cash anywhere you want anymore. They want to know where that money’s coming from.”

Indeed, Richard Madril notes that federal regulation of gaming corporations is getting much more stringent, and those who fail to comply with those regulations can be hit with crippling fines. “They want the casinos to monitor the clients just as though the IRS were present,” he says. “They’ve got programs known as KYC—Know Your Client—and you’re supposed to advise the IRS when somebody is spending too much money at your casino. And, of course, that’s exactly what casino [owners] want their customers to do: spend a lot of money!”

To a person, the trio expressed gratitude for what they gained from attending Boyd and the value of their LL.M. degree, not to mention the contacts they made and the doors that degree continues to open.

“It was a unique experience, one I would take over and over again, given the connections I’ve made,” Ariel says. “And that’s a big thing here. Vegas is a small town with a big city in it, and the law school connects you throughout the entire community.”

Karen Whelan joined Kirst and Associates as staff counsel for Allstate.

2007 Governor Steve Sisolak appointed Jacqueline Bluth of Las Vegas to the Eighth Judicial District Court, Department Six. Jacqueline was serving as chief deputy district attorney for Clark County in the homicide division.

Classmates Kerry Doyle and Tyler M. Crawford are the founding partners of Crawford & Doyle, LLC in Las Vegas. Their areas of practice are family law, personal injury, and medical malpractice.

Kelly R. Kichline rejoined Jackson Lewis PC in the firm’s Las Vegas office as a Principal. Previously she worked at Caesars Entertainment Corporation, where she was vice president and chief in-house counsel.

Melissa Waite, JD/MBA ’07 of the Las Vegas office of Dickson Wright, was listed in the National Law Journal’s list of Cannabis Law Trailblazers. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Nevada, the National Cannabis Bar Association, the Clark County Bar Association, and the Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys. She also is a member of the Alumni Leadership Circle and the Dean’s Council of the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law.

2008 Matthew Engle of the firm of Gallagher & Kennedy continues to be involved in the Phoenix arts and culture communities, and was named an “Arts Hero” by On Media publications. Last year he was the co-author of a major Arizona treatise on limited liability companies, published by Data Trace Publishing. He also served on the State Bar committee which rewrote the recently enacted revised Arizona LLC act.

James Robertson, a partner at Downey Brand, was named 2018 Top Lawyer by Sacramento Magazine. Attorneys throughout the region participated in the voting, recommending colleagues in more than 50 legal disciplines. Attorneys who received the highest number of votes in each discipline earned a Top Lawyer designation and were featured in the August issue of the magazine.

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CLASS ACTIONS

2011 David Klink has been practicing plaintiff’s personal injury and health care licensing board defense in Arizona as a sole practitioner since 2015. He enjoys the autonomy of solo practice and accepting cases where he can make a difference.

David Langham recently left his position as Senior Counsel at Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce and has been appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy in the Office of Administration and Management at the U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C.

Embracing the Art of Arguing

Ryan McInerney has been appointed Communications Director for Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak.

Erica Boutte Scott is at a nonprofit law firm and represents children in abuse and neglect cases.

Former Boyd Law Alumni Chapter Board member Amy Yonesawa helped coach a team of high school students from Advanced Technologies Academy competing in the State Bar of Nevada High School Mock Trial competition.

The team won the state event and represented Nevada at the National Mock Trial competition in Athens, Georgia, in mid-May.

2012 Boyd Law Alumni Chapter President-Elect Francesca Resch is a junior partner at Naimi Cerceo Law Group in Las Vegas. She is active in Junior League of Las Vegas and volunteers with various service providers, including the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

2013 Dawn Davis is an associate attorney with the Las Vegas office of Snell & Wilmer practicing in civil litigation with a focus on product liability defense.

Marisa Rodriguez, an associate in the Las Vegas office of the law firm of Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins Gunn & Dial, has been featured in the 11th edition of Nevada Business Magazine’s Legal Elite. Marisa was recognized among Southern Nevada’s top attorneys in the areas of civil litigation, commercial litigation, and health law.

Omar Saucedo is AT&T’s director of external affairs for Southern Nevada.

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ROBUST DISCUSSIONS HELPED PREPARE THREE MEMBERS OF THE JUDD FAMILY FOR SUCCESSFUL CAREERS IN LAW

BY PAUL SZYDELKO For as long as he can remember, Joshua Judd says his father encouraged him to express his opinions and challenged him to defend them with facts. On the couch in front of the television, in the car on the road, or around the dinner table, spirited family discussions would emerge.

Topics ranged from politics to religion to sports—really everything under the sun. Who was going to

win the Super Bowl? Was offense more important than defense? Is a player’s or team’s success more reliant on coaching or talent? If he or any of his eight siblings didn’t have the facts to bolster their viewpoint, they had to take time out to research—the magic of Google aiding the younger ones.

Sometimes, when all the facts were wielded, the logic deployed, the rhetoric exhausted, it was just best to politely take the L, concede, and live to argue the next day.

It was an atmosphere in which education—and the opportunities it opened—was cherished. And it wasn’t always the father who provoked: Initial razzing among the children would evolve into more profound conversations among

themselves. The dynamic proved to be exceptional preparation for three members of the Judd family to attend law school.

Joshua, brother Spencer Judd Jr., and father Spencer Judd Sr. each obtained their juris doctors from the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law, no small credit to the love of debate that the patriarch instilled whenever he could.

“He’s the type of guy who loves to just argue and play devil’s advocate with everything, so that’s how we grew up,” says Joshua, 30, the second-oldest sibling, who earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from BYU, graduated Boyd in 2018, and now clerks in Clark County’s Eighth District Court. “If we had an opinion, we had better be

CLASS ACTIONS

able to defend and support it.”

Spencer Judd Sr., who attended Boyd when Joshua was in high school, fostered Joshua’s curiosity in the law, thanks mostly to a single legal term.

“As a kid, I thought, ‘What the heck is a tort?’” remembers Joshua, whose goal is to become a trial lawyer. He says his father described “how in his classes he would have to stand up and defend, [basically] do the same thing that he made us do around the dinner table. I thought, ‘Oh, that’s a career? That a job? Let’s argue for a living. That’s great!’”

Spencer Jr., the oldest sibling at 32, earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from BYU, graduated Boyd in 2016, and now partners with his father at their

Downtown Las Vegas firm, SJ Law. He says the family discussions were good-natured and respectful, but challenging.

“Dad would ask almost Socratic questions,” Spencer Jr. says. “‘Why do you think that?’ as a way of teaching instead of just saying, ‘Oh, that’s wrong.’”

One reason Spencer Sr. peppered his children with such thoughtprovoking questions was because he grew up in a household where opinions were widely—yet considerately—exchanged. So his decision to pass the candor to his own offspring came naturally.

“I don’t know that I’d say it was argumentative,” Spencer Sr. says of his family’s debates. “But I hope that I created an environment where they felt they could discuss openly their views of topics and feel comfortable with someone else expressing different views and having a discussion about it without getting defensive.”

Spencer Sr. attended BYU but graduated from Weber State University with a degree in political science.

He says his initial intention was to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a lawyer, but it wasn’t until two decades later—when he was 42 years old and working in an unstable mortgage and lending industry— that he began the process of pursuing a law degree.

He started at the Boyd School of Law with a family of eight children and graduated in 2006 with a family of nine. “It was a lot of work, it was very difficult, and I didn’t consider myself anywhere as smart as so many other people in my class,” Spencer Sr. recalls. “I was challenged and just felt very fortunate to be with people who were much brighter than I am.”

Frequently attending classes at night, Spencer Sr. says he appreciated that his fellow students came from varied backgrounds and brought their real-world experience to the classroom. After earning his J.D. and passing the Nevada Bar Exam, he worked for three years at Albright, Stoddard, Warnick & Albright before partnering with attorney J. Scott MacDonald. Then

in 2010, he established SJ Law on Third Street. He primarily takes on criminal cases but also various civil and bankruptcy matters, while Spencer Jr. mostly handles clients dealing with immigration issues.

Now enjoying success in the local legal community, all three family members look back fondly at their time at Boyd, whose diversity made a lasting impression on Spencer Jr. “I loved Boyd—people of different opinions and different ideas, where you were open to just talk about what you were thinking. Lots of smart people just talking things out.”

For his part, Joshua says he was pleasantly surprised that Boyd didn’t advocate the kind of competitive, cutthroat climate associated with some law schools. “Throughout my time there, that wasn’t my experience at all,” Joshua says.

“My classmates were all very helpful, even to other classmates with whom they were super competitive. We’d exchange ideas and help explain a difficult concept if somebody wasn’t getting it. The camaraderie was something I didn’t really understand about law school and the practice of law.”

Joshua now gets to experience that sense of community in his role as a clerk with Clark County’s Eighth District Court, where he regularly witnesses the kind of verbal sparring his father encouraged at a young age. “During a hearing in court, you’ll see two attorneys arguing, and it seems like they must hate each other. Then as soon as the hearing’s over, they’re shaking hands and laughing and talking about going to lunch. It doesn’t have to be so personal. That was my biggest takeaway—that ability to be competitive and strive to do my best, but at the same time be open to others and develop those other types of relationships.”

From the classroom to the courtroom, Spencer Sr. and his two oldest sons remain motivated by a dedication to the law and a passion for intellectual challenges, reasoned debate, and an inspirational civility—all born at the Judd family dinner table.

Adam J. Thompson recently joined as an Intellectual Property Associate at Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP in their Atlanta office.

In this role, Adam’s primary focus includes all areas of patents, trademarks, and copyrights. He is a board member with GeorgiaFIRST Robotics and serves as a mentor for Walton Robotics FIRST.

2014 Miriam C. Thompson is an associate attorney in the Atlanta office of Ogletree Deakins. Her practice focuses on business immigration, and she assists employers with hiring and retaining foreign nationals.

Silvia Villanueva joined the Dyer Lawrence Law Firm in Carson City. Silvia volunteers on the Boyd School of Law Alumni Chapter Board as a member-at-large.

2015 Samantha “Sam” Bilbao joined Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada as a staff attorney for the Consumer Rights Project. Sam represents adult-protected persons in guardianship proceedings.

2016 This spring, former Nevada Gaming Control Board chairwoman Becky B. Harris, LL.M. Gaming Law & Regulation, joined the UNLV International Center for Gaming Regulations as an academic fellow with an emphasis in the study of sports betting. Becky will collaborate with stakeholders on behalf of ICGR to finalize the formation, launch, and first convening of the U.S. Sports Betting Forum, an outlet designed to discuss issues relating to legal sports wagering.

Jordan Hollander, LL.M. Gaming Law & Regulation, recently was named as a member of the Emerging Leaders of Gaming (ELG) and Global Gaming Business magazine 2018-19 class of the ELG 40 Under 40. A resident of Branchburg, New Jersey, he currently serves as a deputy attorney general with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.

IN MEMORIAM Geneva Y. Lemon of Las Vegas passed away February 11, 2019. She was a member of the class of 2010.

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RECOGNIZING BOYD’S SUPPORTERS

DONORS

Pillars of Support LEGENDARY NEVADA ATTORNEY SAMUEL LIONEL AND HIS WIFE, LEXY, REMAIN STEADFASTLY COMMITTED TO BOYD’S SUCCESS

BY GAEL HEES It’s impossible to understate just how immense of an icon Samuel Lionel is among Nevada’s legal community. After all, this is a man who not only had more than half a century of legal experience under his belt before the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law opened its doors, but he was three 46

UNLV Law | 2019

years into his career before UNLV proper held its first classes back in 1957.

Of course, longevity doesn’t always equate to impact—but it certainly does with respect to Lionel. Among his earliest clients were such luminaries as Howard Hughes and Kirk Kerkorian, and in 1967, he helped found Lionel Sawyer & Collins, which became one of the most renowned firms in Nevada history. And in the midst of building his career, Lionel served for 30 years on the Nevada Board of Bar Examiners, which writes and grades the state’s bar questions and oversees the administration of two bar exams.

Lionel’s dedication to enriching the state’s legal community extends to the Boyd. At a

time when many of Nevada’s practicing attorneys weren’t thrilled about the prospect of creating the state’s first fully accredited law school—mostly because such an institution would eventually flood the market with quality competition—Lionel was among its earliest supporters. In fact, he was among a contingent that attempted to bring Nevada a legal institution long before Boyd was ever on the drawing board.

“Several of us tried over and over to start a law school many years ago, and we weren’t successful,” Lionel says. “One was started in Reno and it folded, as did one that started in Las Vegas. We now have [Boyd Law] because people like Bill Boyd,

DONORS

[the late] Jim Rogers, and others were so dedicated and determined to start this and make it work.”

Over the years, Lionel and his wife, Lexy, have regularly supported Boyd through financial contributions that fund student scholarships, as well as other philanthropic endeavors. For instance, before closing in 2015, Lionel Sawyer & Collins named the Nevada Law Journal room, providing funds for furnishings and décor.

Also, in 2016, the Lionels established the Samuel Lionel Professorship in Intellectual Property, a position currently held by Boyd Professor Marketa Trimble.

Most recently, they founded the LaFranceTrimble Award, which is named after Trimble and fellow Boyd Law Professor Mary LaFrance and presented annually to the outstanding graduate in the intellectual property concentration.

“I get to present the award, and I’m there at the podium with my husband, and I look out at all the graduates, their family members, the faculty members, and judges, and I’m just elated,” says Lexy Lionel, who owns the award-winning company Nannies & Housekeepers USA. “There is so much joy being able to be part of all of that.”

Although you wouldn’t know it by looking at him, Samuel Lionel celebrated his 100th birthday earlier this year. But don’t let that number fool you into thinking he’s thrown out his legal pad and tossed his briefcase deep into a closet— quite the contrary, Lionel is still practicing business litigation, currently as director of Fennemore Craig, which has offices throughout the West.

And as Samuel Lionel continues to leave his indelible mark on the legal profession, some 65 years after passing the Nevada Bar in 1954, he and Lexy will continue to do whatever they can to support the state’s only law school and ensure that it consistently produces quality lawyers—lawyers who someday will have a chance to leave their own mark on the Silver State’s legal industry.

“I give to create a better law school, have better students, and secure better teachers, all with the end result of having better lawyers here in Nevada,” Samuel Lionel says with regard to his generous philanthropy. “Over the past 21 years, the law school has come a long way. We’re proud of it, and many of us remain dedicated to its future success.”

A Lifelong Pledge A MEMBER OF BOYD LAW’S CHARTER CLASS, OGONNA BROWN’S DEVOTION TO HER ALMA MATER IS LONG-LASTING AND FAR-REACHING

BY GAEL HEES When Ogonna Brown graduated from the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law as part of the charter class in 2001, she didn’t end her relationship with the school.

If anything, she became even more active.

Over the years, Brown has mentored students, served as a guest speaker in classes, participated in moot court, helped plan class reunions, and interacted with students through the law school’s Leadership Lunch program.

Brown’s everlasting commitment to Boyd can be summed up in her own succinct pledge: “When the law school asks for something, as long as I don’t have a scheduling conflict, I always say yes.”

Brown gives more than just her time and energy to her alma mater; she’s also a committed donor—and for good reason. As someone who was able to achieve her dream of attaining a law degree thanks to a fullmerit scholarship, Brown understands better than anyone the value of philanthropic dollars and how scholarships can be lifechanging for students.

“The support I received [at Boyd] was amazing,” Brown says. “My mom was a single mom, raising four girls. To be able to go to law school and not be so much of a financial burden was really wonderful for me. It was incredible to be free to focus on my academics, really take advantage of my opportunity and educate myself for three years.”

Brown first began considering a legal education as far back as junior high school. “I realized liked English, I liked writing and reading, and I liked the power of persuasion,” she says. “So I thought, ‘I’ll become a lawyer.’”

Since earning her juris doctor, Brown has enjoyed a successful and rewarding career that included a 16-year stint as an attorney for one of Nevada’s largest law firms: Holley, Driggs, Walch, Fine, Wray, Puzey & Thompson. Today, she’s a partner in the Las Vegas

offices of Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie, where she focuses her practice on bankruptcy as it pertains to creditors’ rights, as well as commercial litigation in state and federal court.

When not advocating for her clients, Brown can be found lending a charitable hand to a number of local organizations, including the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, where she’s been part of the Pro Bono Advisory Council since 2013, as well as the Shade Tree, Goodwill of Southern Nevada, and Big Brothers and Sisters of Southern Nevada.

Indeed, Brown serves as yet another example of a Boyd graduate who has remained devoted to upholding the community-service principles that were instilled during her years as a student. And for Brown, those principles will always extend to her alma mater, which explains why she’s part of the law school’s Alumni Leadership Circle, whose members have pledged at least $5,000 over a five-year period.

“I am a donor. It’s part of the fabric of my community involvement,” Brown says. “In fact, I have [my donations to Boyd] on autopay, so I don’t forget, because sometimes you get busy. From my perspective, there are no excuses not to donate to the law school.”

2019 | UNLV Law

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RECOGNIZING BOYD’S SUPPORTERS

• *indicates Alumni Leadership Circle member • + indicates UNLV Boyd Law faculty and staff

DONORS

The law school is grateful to the donors who supported the law school during our 20th Anniversary and throughout the 2018-19 Academic Year.

$1,000,000+ • William S. Boyd & The Boyd Foundation

$50,000$99,999

• Ed & Claudia Bernstein, and Edward M. Bernstein & Associates • Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP • Claggett & Sykes Law Firm • Sam and Lexy Lionel & The Lionel Trust • Russell Rosenblum and Anne Mazzola & The Rosenblum Family Foundation

$25,000$49,999

• Robert Boughner • The E. L. Cord Foundation • Eglet Adams • +Dan Hamilton and Mary-Ann Winkelmes • Lori Kalani • Michael and Sonja Saltman • Hon. E. Miriam Shearing • Thomas A Plein Foundation, Ltd.

$10,000$24,999

• Barrick Gold of North America • Lynnda Brown ‘04 • Caesars Entertainment Corporation • Carrara Nevada • Dickinson Wright, PLLC • Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund • Jacinta Fitzgerald • Frontier Philanthropy, LLC • Greenberg Traurig, LLP • Harris and Eliza Kempner Fund • Ronald Hasso ‘10 & the Hasso Philanthropic Foundation • Tom Jingoli & Konami Gaming, Inc. • KJS Family Foundation • Ellis and Yvette Landau • Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie, LLP • McDonald Carano, LLP • James Nave • Nevada Bar Foundation • Oakland Law Group, PLCC • +Nancy Rapoport and Jeffrey Van Niel • Rowe Law Group, Ltd. • Keith Smith • Snell & Wilmer, LLP • Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys • State Bar of Nevada 48

UNLV Law | 2019

• Derek Stevens • Strategies 360 • The Cold Heading Foundation • The Schwab Fund for Charitable Giving • Peter and Nancy Thomas • Thomas and Leslie Thomas • Thomas & Mack Company • UNLV Boyd Alumni Association • Wynn Resorts

$5,000-$9,999 • Leigh and Phillip Aurbach • Bailey Kennedy, LLP • Matthew A. Burke • Shawn Cardinal • Terry Caudill • Hon. Michael Cherry • Community Foundation of Western Nevada • De Castroverde Law Group • *Daron Dorsey ‘01 & Hon. Jennifer Dorsey • Ozzie Fumo • Four Queens Hotel & Casino • Tom and Mary Gallagher & the Thomas E. & Mary K. Gallagher Foundation • *Erin Gettel ‘15 • Holley, Driggs, Walch, Fine, Puzey, Stein & Thompson • Joel Mann ‘02 & the Law Offices of Joel M. Mann • Las Vegas Sands Corporation • Art Marshall and Bonnie Saunders • NV Energy • Poker Royalty • Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits Charitable Fund • Steve Parke ‘10 • William Paulos • Ted & Maria Quirk • +Sen. Harry Reid & Landra Reid • +Gov. Brian Sandoval & Lauralyn Sandoval • Philip G. Satre • Kim Sinatra • Don and Dorothy Snyder • William Hill

$2,500-$4,999 • Anderson Mori & Tomotsune • Atkinson Watkins & Hoffmann LLP • Ballard Spahr, LLP • Travis Barrick • Selma Bartlett • Becker Goodey • Debby Cameron • Campbell & Williams • The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas • Cozen O’Connor • Hon. Michael L. Douglas & Anne Douglas • Fantini Research • FC Management, LLC • Fox Rohthschild LLP • Gaming Counsel Professional Corporation

• Garman Turner Gordon, LLP • Gentile Cristalli Miller Armeni Savarese • *Dennis Gutwald ‘03 & Michelle Gutwald • *Marjorie Hauf ‘02 & Rory Hauf • Howard & Howard Attorneys, PLLC • Marianne Johnson • Kaempfer Crowell • Kemp, Jones & Coulthard, LLP • Malcolm P. LaVergne • Greg & Dana Lee • Beatrice P. Lionel • Marquis Aurbach Coffing • Sam & Mary Ellen McMullen • *Terry A. Moore ‘01 & Stacey Allen • Nevada Justice Association • Pintar Albiston, LLP • Hon. Phil Pro & Dori Pro • *Rosa Solis-Rainey ‘01 & Dayne Rainey • Southwest Gas Corporation • William T. Sykes ‘05 • Michael Viellion ‘04 & Carly Viellion • Weinberg, Wheeler, Hudgins, Gunn & Dial, LLC • Jerry Whitsett

$1,000-$2,499

• A.C.L.U. of Nevada Foundation Inc. • Cynthia Alexander • American Gaming Association • *Paola Armeni Androvandi ‘03 & Joe Androvandi • Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers • *Christian Augustin ‘15 • +Mary Beth Beazley • Chris & Christine Beecroft • Nancy Bernstein ‘04 • David Blake • *Brian Blaylock ‘12 & Anne Blaylock • *Ogonna Brown ‘01 • +Tony & Linda Cabot • *Joe Cain ‘01 & Christina Cain • *Justin Carley ‘06 and Anna Carley • Nicholas Casiello • *Holly Cheong ‘10 & Angelo Cheong • Committee to Elect Segerblom • *Zachary Conine ‘13 & Layke Martin • Robert & Julia Correales • Crowe & Dunlevy • Deloitte Foundation • *Kelly Dove ‘07 & Ian Dove • Fennemore Craig • *Charles Gianelloni ‘12 & Jae Gianelloni • Gillian Griffith Copywriting • *Kara Hendricks ‘01 & *Jean-Paul Hendricks ‘06 • Karen Kretchmar • Peter Kulick • Wendy Kveck • Patricia & Ronnie Lee • Peggy Leen • Anne Marie Levy ‘01 & *Kfir Levy ‘03 • Lexis-Nexis • Michael Lipton, Q.C.

• Littler Mendelson, PC & Littler Mendelson Foundation, Inc. • Maddox Segerblom and Canepa LLP • +Thom & Paula Main • Janice Marcus • Roberta Martin • MM Development Company, Inc. • +Richard & Christina Morgan • *Sandra Douglass Morgan ‘03 & Don Morgan • *James Murphy ‘03 & *Jessica Murphy ‘03 • Penn National Gaming • Marsha Peterson ‘07 • Hon. Kristina Pickering & Stephen Morris • +Ngai Pindell • Simon Planzer & Planzer Law • Porter Group • *Bob Potter ‘02 • RMC Ventures LLC • +Christine Smith • *Melissa Waite ‘07 & Kendall Thacker • UpRight Law • Dan & Andrea Waite • *Trevor Waite ‘14 & Tara Waite • *Ann Ward ‘02 • John White & Jocelyn Cortez • Ashleigh Wise ‘16 • Youth Charities of Southern Nevada

$500-$999

• 300 Stewart Avenue Lessee, LLC • +Rachel Anderson • Richard Andrews ‘13 • James Baldwin • Shelley Berkley & Larry Lehrner • +Bret Birdsong • Barbara Buckley & Thomas Kendrick • Butler Snow LLP • Charles Cowan • Fennemore Craig, P.C. • Andrew Denton • James & Deborah Deutsch • *Miles Dickson ‘11 • Kathleen England & England Law Office • Edgar Flores • P. Gregory Giordano • +Leslie Griffin • H1 Law Group • *Kirk Homeyer ‘11 • Interactive Global Solutions • Amanda Klump • Lazcano Samano, S.C. • Margaret Lambrose ‘09 • Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada • Victor & Rosa Lucero • Patrick Lynch • Catherine Mazzeo ‘02 • Mary McCarthy • McCormick, Barstow, Shepard, Wayte & Carruth LLP • Nathan Mehl • The Mob Museum • Boyd Moss ‘03 • Nevada Resort Association • *Michael Paretti ‘15 • *Casey Perkins ‘10 & Robin Perkins

• *Becky Pintar ‘01 • John & Melinda Poss • Amanda Ramsay • Felipe & Tina Rodriguez • Freddy Saavedra • Heath Schoengold • Raymond Smith ‘03 • Doreen Spears Hartwell • Alex Tribble • Gregory Troutman • Violeta Urbina • Ursula Vernon • Walters Law Group • Valerie Wiener

$250-$499

• +Rachael & Luther Adair • Vince Alberta • Aramark • Laura Brennan • Bonnie Bulla • Kathryn Campbell-Kibler • Carolina Chacon • Cliff W. Marcek P.C. • Kathleen Cole • Samantha Curwell • Carmen De La Cruz • Amanda Deal • Distinctive Insurance • +Frank & Veronica Durand • Stefani & William Evans • Ford & Friedman, LLC • +Ruben Garcia & Victoria Carreon • GiveGab.com • Golding Lamothe • +Sara Gordon • *William Habdas ‘13 & Abigail Habdas • Michael Haskell • The JABarrett Company • Jeffrey Burr, Ltd. • George Jepsen • Raymond Jereza ‘09 • Kimberly Johnson • Richard Johnson • +Michael Kagan • Erin Kenny ‘02 • +Kay Kindred • Kumon Math and Reading Center • Radhika Kunnel • Helen Lamothe • Law Office of Michael R. Mcnerny, CHTD • +Sylvia Lazos & +Jean Sternlight • +Francine Lipman • +Elizabeth MacDowell • Cliff Marcek • Ellin Mardirosian ‘16 • Michael McNerny ‘12 • Seth Morrison • +David Orentlicher • Ronni Paer • Patrick N. Chapin, Ltd. • Ann Pennington • Dan & Ann Reaser • Gary Reetz • The Richter Firm, LLC • Right Lawyers • Keith & Katherine Rowley • Susan Santos • Adela & George Smith

DONORS

• Kurt Smith ‘07 & Stephanie Smith • William & Joy Snyder • Cassie Stratford ‘08 • John Swendseid & Despina Hatton • Travis N. Barrick, PC • +Marketa & Gary Trimble Landova • Jonathan Ullman • Cindy Villanueva • Christine Whitmire • Catherine Williams

$100-$249

• Cheryl Abramoff • Claudia Aguayo • Constance Akridge • Jacqueline D. Alvarez • Radia Amari • Sarig Armenian ‘09 & Razmik Libarian • Jane Ashe • Allison Ashenfelter • Mary Bacon • Sarah Banks • Ernest Barsamian • +Ian Bartrum • David & Holly Baugh • William Beers • Leonardo R. Benavides ‘18 • +Linda Berger • Maria-Nicolle Beringer ‘04 & Scott Beringer • Bo Bernhard • Amanda Beverage • Bailey Bortolin ‘15 & Alexander Quagge ‘15 • Bonefish Grill • Paula Braun • Joseph & Pamela Brown • Buffalo Wild Wings • Hon. Elissa Cadish • Connor Calaway • Ashley Campbell • Charles Cano • Janet Carpenter • Carol & Dwayne Chesnut • C.L.Y. Inc. • Jennifer Coats • Krystina Colton • Venicia Considine ‘08 • Emily Cooke • Alissa Cooley ‘14 • Valerie Cossio • Susan Cowles • Kathryn Crowley • Andrea Dawydowycz • Darwyyn Deyo • Michelle Di Silvestro Alanis ‘06 & Tony Di Silvestro Alanis • Rebecca Dickel • Wonhee Do ‘15 • +Angie Doran • Brad Duda ‘17 • Nick Dunne • Pamela Dylag • Elements Massage • Kellen Elrod • Willie & Mischa Epps • Neil Ernst • Nathaniel Espino

• Miriam Estes • Facelogic Spa • Ajene Farrar • Shaun Ferguson • C. Ford • Lucy Forrest • Matthew Frauenfeld ‘17 • Rosemary Gagne • Michelle Gaines • Sally Galati ‘05 & Craig Galati • Norma Gauster • Joshua Gilmore ‘09 & Kristina Gilmore ‘09 • Homero Gonzalez ‘19 • Marlene Goodwin • Samuel Grafton • Robyn Gregrich • Siria Gutierrez ‘10 • Llama Habern • Vickie Hamby • Katelyn Harper • Julia Hayton • Karen Hoffman • Mary Anne Hoopes • Kristina Howard • +Joan Howarth • Jim Hutchins • Amanda Ireland ‘13 • +Lori Johnson • Annamarie Johnson • Nadia Jurani ‘03 & Romeo Jurani • Eleanor Kane • Justine Kappeler • Michael Kopinsky • Colby Kuhn • Lysander Lacy • Natasha Lampreux • Hannah Langston • Las Vegas Lights FC • Amanda Laub ‘18 • Lawton • Holly Lay • Evangelin Lee ‘06 • Akke Levin ‘04 & Ari Levin • Brad Lewis • Ann Lipton • Miguel Lopez-Castillo • Natalia Luckyanova • Ian MacDowell • Mara Maguire • Brian Marick • Jas Marshall • Juan A. Martinez • Joel D. Martinsen • Erica Mason • James Maysonett • Thomas McAffee • Cian McMahon • Annabeth McMillen • Andrew Molasky • Matthew Morris ‘13 • John Mowbray ‘17 • Joseph Mugan ‘04 & Whitney Mugan • Joshua Munce • Kristen Munson • Ian Murray • Maria Muzyka • Lauren Nelson • Carol Nerby

• Brad Neumann • Dawn Nielsen ‘16 & Robert Nielsen • Bruce Nilles • +Lydia Nussbaum • Charlotte Ohl • Jennifer Ortiz • Mario Patrick • Marsha Patrick • Natalie Perkins • Jessica Perlick ‘13 & Reid Perlick • Karlee Phelps ‘11 • Mary Pickering • Trevor Placker • +Jeanne Price • Elizabeth Rapp • Phoebe Redmond • Sarah Rees Brennan • Francesca Resch ‘12 • Nicholas Reseburg • Shannon Richards ‘05 & Trent Richards ‘08 • Elena Roberts ‘10 • Marisa Rodriguez ‘13 • Monica Rodriguez • Mark Sakurada • David Sandino • Pedro Santana • Jennifer Schwartz ‘02 & Darren Schwartz • Carl Segerblom • Michael Shamoon ‘19 • Atif Sheikh • Susan Sims • Sin City Yoga & Training LLC • Lawrence Sklar • Natalie Smith • Andrew & Dena Smith • Andrew Sonstrom • Carolyn Sparks • Stallion Mountain Golf Club • Joseph Stanley • Starbucks • Amanda Stevens ‘15 & Hiram Henriquez • Gloria Sturman • Angie Sullivan • Kathleen Sullivan • Savanna Swiger • David & Virginia Tanenhaus • Brett Thomas • Louis Toledo ‘06 • Kenneth Toop ‘15 • Karen Van Meter • Laura Williams • Sebastian Wolf • Steven Wolfson & Hon. Jackie Glass • Minnie Wood • Barbara Wyatt • YourCause, LLC

$1-$99

• Kaitlyn Aguilar • Kaya Ahmed • Mackenzie Albee • Gail Alcalay • Hope Alcorn • Katy Aldridge • Krystal Aldridge

• Karen Allen • Amelia Alves • Lisa B. Amsler • Kevin Anderson • Pamela Anderson • Ryan Anderson • Kaitlyn Anderson • Gabrielle Angle ‘10 • Melissa Anthony • Leslie Applegate • Madeline Arcellana ‘15 • Meghan Arellano • Kyle Avery • Collin Ayer • Briana Ayers • Konstancja Babicz • Anthony Baker • +Chelsea Baldwin • Barbara Bales • Tanya Balon • Truan Barkis • Jennifer Barndt • +Carolyn Barnes • Victoria Barnette • Roy Barney • Laura Barrera • Erika Barrie • Gabby Bartos • Nathan Baxter • Kerry Becker • Carolyn Ben • Joseph Benavidez • William Bennett-Parker • Kerri Berney • +Michael Bertetto • Alisa Bierria • Molly Bilker • Kayleigh Billings • Sandra & Bruce Bird • Emily Bleyle • +Kelly & William Boan • Anna Maria Bogatz • Shannon Borden ‘19 • Keliana Borton • Violeta Bostioca • Katherine Bourne Taylor • Lindsay Boynton • Sofiya Brisker • Steven Broka ‘19 & Christa Broka • Isaac Brown • Angela Brown • Gabrielle Brown • Luzia Brutschy • Shannon Bryan • Emily Buchwald ‘14 • Mikaela Buckley • Katherine Burklund • Melissa Campbell • Sarah Canzoneri • Marcus Cara • Tatiana Cardenas • Jennifer Carr ‘06 • Jennifer Carroll • Helen Cashin • Elva Castaneda • Maria Caswell • Suresh Chahal • Kathleen Chamberlain • Arny Chang • Eric Chao

• David Chavez ‘19 • Renee Chen • Celia Cheung • Laura Chrismon • Pramate Churchville • Nicole Marie Cimino • Casey Cipriani • Christine Clancy • Bambi Clark • Meghan Clisham • Gavin Clough • Patti Clower • Malcolm Cohen • Kathryn Coil • Jeremy Colangelo • Megan Conley • Lauren Conway • Courtney Cook • Laura Cooksey • Jhovany Corona • Skylar Cote • Jason Courington • Willa Courtney • Eli Courtwright • Ebony Coussens • Emily Cox • Maureen Craig • Allison Crow • Emma Cueto • Joseph Dagher ‘19 • Mykenzie Darby • Deborah Davidson • JoAnn Davidson • Simon Daws • Kari Day-Lucore • Ingrid de Beus • Michelle DeBace • Melissa DeGenova • Jim DelRosso • Deniz Denizer • Diego Diaz • Elizabeth Dill • Lauren DiMartino • Nancy Dinardo • Adele Doctor • David Doctor • Kylee Dodson • Lauren Donaghy • Dillon Dugan • Nabeel Ebeid • Eclipse Theaters • Lawrence Edelstein • Josh Edwin • Athena Eliades ‘19 • David Elman • Anna Emenheiser • Victoria Enriquez • Sandy Escobar • Nicole Everling • Fancher • Maximilian Farris • Corey Farrow • Yariely Felizola • Sharon Ferguson • Eilish Ferry-Kennington • Ruth Fertig • Kelly Filiak • Lauren Finley • Michael Fischer • Francis Fish 2019 | UNLV Law

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RECOGNIZING BOYD’S SUPPORTERS

DONORS

• Kiersten Flynn • Breanna Forrest • Richard Foster ‘19 & Lynda Foster • David Fried • Jannie Frierson • Jeaniene Frost • Kia Fuller • Alison Furlong • Stephan Gaassand • Emily Gabet • Olivia Gamache • Andrea Gandara ‘11 • Mayra Garay • Kailey Garcia • Louis Garcia • Hayley Garrand • Lorelei Gatten • Dawn Gearhart ‘07 • Halle George • Arthur George • Nikita Georgiou • Hannah Gevurtz • Alice Giba • Stephanie Giebeig • Carmen Gilbert ‘19 • Angharad Gilbey • Jessie Gilles • Susan Gillespie ‘19 • Julianna Ginn • E. Ginsburg • Lee Gorlin ‘15 & Christine Gorlin • Nathalie Gracia • Emanuela Grama • Cheryl Grames ‘12 • Amanda Grathwohl • Caleb Green ‘19 • Aidan Greenan • Blaine Greenberg • Rachel Greene • Jaleesa Gregory • Birch Griesse • Emma Griffith • Heather Groghan • Bethany Gronberg • Deepika Gudavalli • Paloma Guerrero ‘19 • Henry Hagen • Meghan Halecky • Emily Hall • Eileen Halloran • +Sunny & Edward Halstead • Alyssa Halverson-Few • Bryan Hamblin • Katherine Hamilton • Alexander Hammond • Rachel Hampton • +Eve Hanan • Annika Hansen • Tabitha Hanson • Sophie Hardy • Michelle Harnik ‘19 • Cindy Harris • Robert Harris • Stephanie Harrod ‘14 • Clara Hartman • Elizabeth Hatfield • Lena Hearn • Alexis Heavner • Michael Hegwood 50

UNLV Law | 2019

• Benjamin Helbein • Kyle Helton • Anna Hendricks • Jessica Herbert • Stuart Heslop • Egan Hiatt • Camille Hickey • Romero Hidalgo • Keith Hightower ‘17 • Caroline Hill • Samantha Hilton & David Grider • Stephanie Hinrichs • Megan Hinrichs • Andrew Holland • Victoria Horseman • Calvin Hotchkiss • Athena Hughes • Olivia Hurlbut • Alexandria Hurley • Crislove Igeleke ‘15 • Ogechi Ike • Anthony Ioannidis • Linda Irakoze • Mark Ive • James Izurieta • +Nakia Jackson-Hale & David Hale • Veronica Jacobsen • Clara Jaeckel • Cryschelle Jeffery • Catelyn Johnson • Darcy Johnson ‘02 • Kelley Jones ‘08 • Sarah Jones • Tessa Kadar • Fatima Kamil • Adam Kaminski • Kesava Kantumuchhu • Sofiya Karpenchuk • Gretchen Kasting • Libbie Katsev • Levi Katzoff ‘12 • Tracey Kazura • Logan Keane • Abigail Keeshan • Ann Kelly • Erinn Kelly • Andrea Ketcham • Ila Khan • Noga Khen • Catherine King • Jodie King • Kristina King • Rosie King • Anna Kirby • Steven Kish ‘19 • Hannah Klink • Jessie Koch • Eliana Kohrman-Glaser • Elizabeth Kommer • Lisa Kowalski • Charles Kravetz • Mariah Kreutter • Ylva Haugen Kristiansen • Alison Kronstadt • Samuel Krus • Anna Kuipers • Marc Kustner ‘19 • Luke Lakstins • Brigitte Lamarche

• Tabitha Langston • Jennifer LaPierre • Kailyn LaPorte • Circe Lassegue • Mitchell Lawson • Rachel Lawton-Shad • Rachel Lazerus • Miriam Lazewatsky • K. Le • Benjamin Leavitt ‘19 • Casey Lee ‘19 • Catherine Lee • Katherine Leman • Audrey Lescalleet • Jennifer Lewis • Emily Liles • Jingwei Liu • Brittany Llewellyn ‘14 • Peter Lomax • Sophia Long ‘03 • Sarah Loomis • Miguel Lopez ‘08 • Pricilla Lopez • Stefan Lopez • Grace Lozada-Olivencia • Ellsie Lucero ‘19 • Anissa Lujan • Laci Lundy • Amy Luo • Rebecca Luu • Shannon Lyman • Cameron Macintyre • Cyndy Mahoney • Tony Mahoney • Ambika Malik • Jonah Maloney • Erin Mann • Ben Margerison • Sarah Margulies • Zoë Marshall • Julia Marti • Briana Martinez ‘18 • Monica Martinez ‘17 • Jorge Martinez • Jacob Martnick • Peep Matheson • Matt Mazenauer • Emily McAllister • Lindsay McCormick • Kyle Mcfarland • +Ann McGinley • Rachel McGonigle • Shelby McGovern • Eric McKnight • Meredith McLaughlin • Shelby McNally • Lada Mead • Lauren Means • Trevor Medina • Kiara Mejia • Emily Mellors • Caitlin Merikallio • Meredith Meske • Victor Meza • Oleg Mikhaylov • Hayley Miller ‘16 • Rebecca Miller • Amanda Miller • Molly Miller • Samuel Milling • Adrienne Miranda

• Jacob Mitchell • Andrea Mitchell • Du’aa Moharram • Alixander Moore • Scott Moore • Thomas Moore • Shannon Moore • Thomas Morring • Brian Mosich ‘19 • Jonathan Moss ‘19 • Jennifer Mtatabikwa-Walker ‘19 • Zarinah Muhammad ‘12 • Amanda Mulherin • Jacob Narotzky • Maya Nathanson • +Rebecca Nathanson • Gayle Neal • Janet Neigh • Annie Nelson • Cherie Nelson • Piril Nergis • Stacy Newman ‘16 • Shawn Newman • Diana Nier • Roman Nikhman ‘19 • Anneka Nilsson • Leslie Nino-Piro ‘09 & John Piro ‘10 • Kali Norris • May Norwood • Nothing Bundt Cakes • David & Autumn Nourse • Anne Novick • Amanda Nyren • Jennifer Oliverio • Emily Rose Onderdonk • Sofia Ortega • Cheryl Ortiz • Nirali Panchani • Deven Pandya • Elizabeth Paoki • Marival Parish • Jungmin Park • Rachel Parziale • Barbara Patai • Devonn Patterson • Margaret Paul • Finnian Peck • Summer Peila • Mary Penfield • Jocelyne Perez • Celeste Perez • James Perez • Samantha Perrin • Nina Petersen • K. Petersson Martin • PerthroSupplies.etsy.com • Linda Phan • April Pierce • Shaina Plaksin ‘15 & Benjamin Plaskin • Brandi Planet ‘09 • +Tiffany Ponds-Kimbro • Julian Portland • Greta Prisby • Jennifer Pryhuber • Lila Ralston • Sandhya Ramachandran • Jake Reed • Derrick Reese • Ioline Regibeau

• Susan Reynolds • Sophie Reynolds • Caitlin Rhodes • Sara Rincon • Melody Rissell ‘18 • Cindy & Reid Rivelli • Mariteresa Rivera-Rogers ‘03 • Tyler Robinson • Grace Rodger • Sandra Rodriguez • Tatiana Rosales • Christopher Rose • Victoria Rose • Cathleen Roskind • Elizabeth Ross • Jill Rounseville • Claire Rude • Emily Rude • Emily Sandoval • Maria Santiago • Luz Santiago • Benjamin Sarkis • Sarah Sassaman • Omar Saucedo ‘13 • Hayley Scanlon • Rebecca Scharf & Matthew Schneider • Josh Schneider • Bailey Schob • Dara Schottenfeld • Sara Schreiber ‘19 • Jennifer Schulle • Verdhan Shah • Austin Shelton • Martina Shindelus ‘02 • Rose Shuker-Haines • Aimee Shulman • Anna Sichting ‘19 • Patrick & Katy Sickles • Jennifer Sikes • Cristina Silva • Odette Simpson • Taylor Simpson ‘15 • Carly Singleton • Conner Skeen • Anne Skutnik • Erica Smit ‘15 • Stacey Smith • Sarah Smith • Danika Smith • Megan Smith • Andrea Smith • Brian & Lise Smith • Emily Smithers • Amy Smolek • Saundra Snyder • Magali Sochay • Alyssa Solazzo • Jeniffer Solis • Kiran Sorathia • Patrick Spence • Julie Speraw ‘19 • Samantha Spraker • Squeeze In • Lacy Stagles • Otis Stanford • Karen & William Stanley • Sean Steiger-McRae • Hannah Steinman • Bria Stephens • David Stern ‘19

• Thomas Stewart ‘16 • Anatasia Strobel • Willowe Studer • Frank Sullivan • Keyonna Summers • Inna Tabansky • Emily Tabet • Lisa Tamres • Ali Tarralle • Benjamin Taylor • Tracy Teunissen • Lenox Tillman • Michael Tisserand • Emma Toth • Trader Joe’s • Elijah Tredup ‘16 • Sean Trent • Claire Trussoni • Cris Tsai • Melissa Tuohey • Jessica Tupper • Kelsey Tuttell • Mary Tyler • Catherine Tyrakowski • Inna Tysoe • Rikita Tyson • Kenneth Ulrich • Julianne Marie Unite ‘14 • Bradlee Valandra • Paris Valentine • Gabriela Vargas • Nevena Vasovic • Yaroslava Vasyutynska • Adrian Viesca ‘17 • Malini Vijaykumar • Amelie Viljoen • Vincent Vitatoe ‘12 • Samantha Vitulli • Laura Voris • Alesha Walker • Jessica Wall • Sarah Wall • Sarah Waller • Bridget Walls • Wachira Wambugu • Sebastian Weber • Richard Weiss • *Hon. Brenda Weksler ‘02 • Michael Wendlberger ‘07 • Christen Whitney • Jaclyn Wilke • Mara Williams • Kevyn Wills • Hannah Wilson • Adam Wilson • Jaylen Wint • Carl Winter • Sharon Wise • Jackson Wong • Teeuwynn Woodruff • May Wyeth • Margaret Yap • KYJ Yau • Jean-Marie Yelle • Caroline Yerena • Shane Young • Sage Young • Angelina Yount • Sophia Zaynor • Andrea Zengion • Elika Zomorodi

DEAN’S COUNCIL Michael Bonner, Greenberg Traurig Judge Richard Boulware, U.S. District Court William S. Boyd, Boyd Gaming Joseph Brown, Kolesar & Leatham Ogonna Brown ’01, Holley Driggs Walch Fine Wray Puzey & Thompson Sen. Richard Bryan, Fennemore Craig Barbara Buckley, Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada Jennifer Carleton, Howard & Howard Miles Dickson ’11, JABarrett Company Timothy Donovan, Caesars Entertainment Corporation

M. Daron Dorsey ’01, Ainsworth Game Technology Robert Eglet, Eglet Adams Jason Frierson ’01, Clark County District Attorney’s Office Alex Fugazzi, Snell & Wilmer Thomas Gallagher, Thomas and Mary Gallagher Foundation Gerald Gordon, Garman Turner Gordon Brian Irvine ’01, Dickinson Wright Philip Kohn, Clark County Public Defender Samuel Lionel, Fennemore Craig Chief Judge Gloria Navarro, U.S. District Court

Michael Saltman, The Vista Group Ellen Schulhofer, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck Jeff Silvestri, McDonald Carano Tom Thomas, Thomas & Mack Company Dan Waite, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Melissa Waite ’07, Dickinson Wright Brenda Weksler ’02, U.S. District Court, District of Nevada Steven Wolfson, Clark County District Attorney’s Office Kendelee Works ’05, Christiansen Law

ALUMNI LEADERSHIP CIRCLE The Alumni Leadership Circle is a group of dedicated alumni who have pledged a minimum of $5,000 in support of the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law.

Paola Armeni ’03, Clark Hill Christian Augustin ’15, Claggett & Sykes Brian L. Blaylock ’12, Snell & Wilmer Alison Brasier ’07, Hicks & Brasier Ogonna Brown ’01, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Adam Bult ’04, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck E. Joe Cain ’01, Fifth Street Gaming Justin L. Carley ’06, Snell & Wilmer Holly E. Cheong ’10, Snell & Wilmer Sean K. Claggett ’03, Claggett & Sykes

Zachary B. Conine ’13, Nevada State Treasurer Aleem A. Dhalla ’16, Snell & Wilmer Miles Dickson ’11, JABarrett Company M. Daron Dorsey ’01, Ainsworth Game Technology Kelly Dove ’07, Snell & Wilmer Erin M. Gettel ’15, Federal Public Defender’s Office Charles Gianelloni ’12, Snell & Wilmer Dennis Gutwald ’03, McDonald Carano William Habdas ’13, Akerman LLP Keith Hansen ’09, Allegiant Air Marjorie Hauf ’02, Ganz & Hauf Kara B. Hendricks ’01, Greenberg Traurig, LLP Jean-Paul Hendricks ’06, Morris Law Group

Nicholas Hickly ’12, The Investment Counsel Company Kirk Homeyer ’11, Fertitta Enterprises Brian Irvine ’01, Dickinson Wright Matthew I. Knepper ’12, Knepper & Clark LLC Michael B. Lee ’06, Michael B. Lee, PC Kfir Levy ’03, Mayer Brown Sandra Douglass Morgan ’03, Nevada Gaming Control Board Terry A. Moore ’01, Marquis Aurbach Coffing James E. Murphy ’03, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith Jessica W. Murphy ’03, Clark County Public Defender’s Office Michael Paretti ’15, Snell & Wilmer Kathia Pereira ’03, Pereira Law Group

Casey G. Perkins ’10, Foran Glennon Palandech Ponzi & Rudloff Becky Pintar ’01, Pintar Albiston Robert Potter ’02, Affordable Concepts Quinton R. Singleton ’07, Bet. Works Rosa Solis-Rainey ’01, Morris Law Group Leon Symanski ’01, Craig P. Kenny & Associates Melissa L. Waite ’07, Dickinson Wright Trevor Waite ’14, Alverson Taylor Mortensen & Sanders Ann Ward ’02, Retired Brenda Weksler ’02, U.S. District Court, District of Nevada Kendelee L. Works ’05, Christiansen Law Ryan Works ’04, McDonald Carano

Francesca M. Resch, ’12 Shannon Richards, ’05 Ray Smith, ’03 Amanda Stevens, ’15 Marissa Temple, ’04 Silvia Villanueva, ’14 Hillary Walsh, ’12 Brenda Weksler, ’12 Shane Jasmine Young, ’04

Daniel W. Hamilton, Dean and Richard J. Morgan Professor of Law Nakia Jackson-Hale, Executive Director of Alumni Relations and Special Events Lori D. Johnson, Faculty Liaison Carolyn Barnes, Director of Alumni Relations Taylor Buono, Student Liaison Nathaniel Saxe, Student Liaison

BOYD ALUMNI CHAPTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gabrielle H. Angle, ’10 Julia Barker, ’18 Bailey Bortolin, ’15 Alison Brasier, ’07 Lauren Calvert, ’07 Yolanda Carapia, ’18 Jennifer Carr, ’06 Andrew Coats, ’15 Melissa Corral, ’14

Kelly Dove, ’07 Nechole Garcia, ’12 Erin Gettel, ’15 Maggie Lambrose, ’09 Brittany M. Llewellyn, ’14 Matt Morris, ’13 Stacy Newman, ’16 Jessica Perlick, ’13 Chandler Pohl, ’14; LLM ’18

2019 | UNLV Law

51

A Case for Boyd DECIDING TO ATTEND MY HOMETOWN LAW SCHOOL WASN’T EASY—BUT IT SURE WAS WORTH IT

BY SEAN CLAGGETT

I

t’s been nearly two decades since I received a phone call that forever altered the trajectory of not only my career, but my life. That call came from Frank D. Durand, who at the time was the Assistant Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid at the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law. Dean Durand’s message that day was as clear as it was concise: He wanted me to stay home. Specifically, he wanted me to me to roll the dice on my hometown’s recently opened law school—check that, my hometown’s recently opened unaccredited law school, one that held classes in a renovated (yet still antiquated) elementary school ... whose toilets (among other things) were designed for, well, elementary school kids.

As someone who had multiple options to attend established, reputable, fully accredited law schools on the West Coast—all with adult-size toilets, by the way—I could have, and perhaps should have, politely declined Dean Durand’s overtures. But for some reason, I didn’t.

And as I sit here 19 years later, it remains one of the best decisions I ever made.

Oddly enough, I knew as much virtually from the moment I walked into the classrooms at Paradise Elementary School, which was Boyd’s home until 2002.

For starters, the administration—led by founding Dean Dick Morgan—was not only incredibly committed to Boyd’s success, but it was determined to fast-track the accreditation process (which, remarkably, it did).

Beyond that, the instructors hired by Dean Morgan and his staff were insanely smart and devoted to my success, willing to take the time before and after classes to answer questions, alleviate my anxiety, and (when needed) just talk about life. Just as smart were my fellow classmates, who were some of the best people I could ever hope to meet, many of whom I remain friends with to this day.

52

UNLV Law | 2019

When I joined the law school’s third-ever class back in 2000, I actually had no idea what type of lawyer I wanted to be. By the end of my third year, I still wasn’t exactly sure.

But this much I did know: Eventually, I would practice law at my own firm. And by 2005, two years after earning my J.D., I was doing just that at what was then known as Sean K. Claggett & Associates (now Claggett & Sykes).

Just as the Boyd School of Law has grown by leaps and bounds, so too has my law firm, which now employs nine attorneys. And guess what? Including myself, seven of those nine proudly call themselves Boyd alumni. What’s more, all but two of our law clerks are current Boyd students. Rest assured, those attorneys and law clerks aren’t part of Claggett & Sykes just because they attended my alma mater. Rather, it’s because my alma mater continues to consistently develop some of the best and brightest lawyers this country has to offer—lawyers whose writing skills are second to none.

Here’s what else my alma mater does: It strongly encourages its graduates to never stop learning. Admittedly, after passing the bar, I had visions of the kind of lawyer I would be five, 10, 15 years into my career. The simple truth is I wouldn’t be nearly as effective as I am today had I not heeded that advice and continued to advance my skills, which I do by taking more than 40 hours of Continuing Legal Education courses each year.

Without question, my desire to take those courses is directly related to lessons passed on to me by my mentors at Boyd, including professors Bruce Markell, Jay Bybee, and Jean Whitney—just to name a few—who took time to further their own legal knowledge during my three years in law school.

Now, as I approach the 20th anniversary of a phone call that changed my life, I’m amazed at how quickly time has flown by. More amazing than that? The fact I ever considered not accepting Frank Durand’s offer.

PILA

PUBLIC INTEREST L AW ASSOCI ATION

PRESENTS THE

21ST ANNUAL SILVER STATE AUCTION COMING FEBRUARY 2020

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