Feb. 27 Boyd Briefs Now Available

The Feb. 27 edition of Boyd Briefs is now available.

This edition features Professor David Tanenhaus, student Brianna Lamanna, and alumnus Michael Wadley '10.

Professor Tanenhaus is a nationally recognized scholar of juvenile justice and the constitutional rights of children. He currently works at Boyd as the James E. Rogers Professor of History and Law, while also serving the History Department as the Department Chair since 2011.

After graduating from Concordia University in Irvine, California with a bachelor's degree in Behavioral Science and Communication, Lamanna returned home to attend Boyd. In addition to being a first-year law student, she was recently elected as the Governor of the American Bar Association Law Student Division 14th Circuit for 2014-2015.

Wadley currently works for Holland & Hart's construction law practice group. Along with being an accredited Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design professional, his personal experiences working in construction have allowed him to fully understand clients' difficulties that range from contract drafting to dispute resolution.

To subscribe to Boyd Briefs, visit http://law.unlv.edu/BoydBriefs.

Boyd Alumni Kara Hendricks '01 and Peter Ajemian '05 Earn New Positions at Greenberg Traurig

Peter Ajemian '05

Kara Hendricks '01

The Las Vegas office of international law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has elevated Tyler R. Andrews and Kara B. Hendricks to Shareholder in the Litigation Practice and Peter H. Ajemian to Of Counsel in the IP- Trademark Practice. Overall, the firm elevated 33 attorneys to shareholder and 11 to of counsel positions. Reflecting the firm's diversified platform and wide-ranging legal experience, the 2014 class represents more than 14 core practice groups, including Corporate & Securities, Environmental, Government Law & Policy, Immigration, Intellectual Property, Labor & Employment, Real Estate and Tax, across 24 of the firm’s 36 offices in the United States, Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

Tyler Andrews is a commercial litigator with an emphasis on intellectual property enforcement, entertainment law, business disputes, and legislative affairs. Tyler has advocated for clients in mediations, arbitrations, jury and bench trials in both state and federal court, and appeals before the Ninth Circuit and the Nevada Supreme Court. He also represents clients before legislative and regulatory bodies at the local, state, and federal levels. Tyler received his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law and his B.A. from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Kara B. Hendricks is experienced representing businesses in all manners of contract disputes, litigating products liability matters, handling catastrophic injury cases, pursuing claims arising from medical factoring arrangements, litigating employment non-compete agreements, resolving property and construction defect disputes, assessing insurance coverage issues, representing clients in adversary proceedings within the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and assisting businesses in out-of-court restructuring of debt obligations. She also counsels insurance clients regarding statutory and administrative issues and represents such clients in proceedings before the Nevada Division of Insurance and other regulatory bodies. Kara received her J.D. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law and her B.A. from Southern Utah University.

Peter H. Ajemian focuses his practice on trademark, copyright and entertainment law. He spent 10 years as a professional musician and is a published songwriter, having more than 40 songs placed in popular network and cable television shows, nationally released movies, and commercials. This experience as a professional songwriter and guitarist provides Peter with working knowledge from the artist's perspective, in the development of songwriter publishing contracts and the establishment of copyrights. Peter received his J.D. from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law and his B.A. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Boyd Alumnus Edgar Flores '12 Featured on UNLV News Center

Sean Najera, left, and Edgar Flores
Photo: UNLV Photo Services

On Feb. 24, Boyd alumnus Edgar Flores '12 was featured in the UNLV News Center article Collaborating for a Cause.

The article is about Flores and high school best friend Sean Najera, another UNLV alumnus, teaming up to study the legal services available to Southern Nevada's Hispanic community. Their report, "Legal Service Awareness of the Latino Population in Southern Nevada," was published in the spring 2013 issue of the Texas Hispanic Journal of Law & Policy.

Their study focused on how informed the Latino community is of available no- or low-cost legal services as well as why Latinos use non-attorneys to resolve legal issues.

The story reads, "For Flores, the interest in this particular subject is personal."

It continues, "'My parents often spoke of the meaning of being voiceless, and by 7 I understood it completely,' Flores said. 'At that age very few things were clear to me, but I was certain of one thing - I would join a profession that gave me the necessary tools to defend my family.'"

Professor Stacey Tovino to Deliver Health Law Lecture at Saint Louis University

Stacey Tovino is the Lincy Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On Feb. 25, Professor Tovino will give a health law lecture at the Saint Louis University School of Law's Center for Health Law Studies.

Titled "The Law and Ethics of Grateful Patient Fundraising," Professor Tovino's lecture is based on her most recent law review article, "Silence Is Golden ... Except in Health Care Philanthropy." The article was just accepted for publication by the University of Richmond Law Review. 

Professor Tovino is a leading expert in health law, bioethics, and the medical humanities.

Professor Nancy Rapoport Helps Present UNLV Leadership Development Academy Workshop

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law. She specializes in bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture.

Professor Rapoport also serves as Coordinator of the Leadership Development Academy, a program at UNLV that aids in the further development of campus leaders.

On March 4, the Leadership Development Academy will present a workshop on the roles of presidents, provosts, and other university administrators. The event, to take place from 2 to 5 p.m. inside Room 219 of the Student Union, will feature the following panelists: President Karen Gross of Southern Vermont College, President John M. Rudley of Texas Southern University, and Vice Chancellor David Williams II of Vanderbilt University.

These leaders in higher education will discuss how they progressed to their current jobs, what challenges they face, what might lie in store for higher education, and how they work within a shared governance system to move their institutions forward.

This event is free and open to the public. Those interested in attending can RSVP here.

Feb. 20 Boyd Briefs Now Available

The Feb. 20 edition of Boyd Briefs is now available.

This edition features Professor Thomas McAffee, student Brittnie Watkins and alumna Tara Popova '10.

Professor McAffee has been teaching constitutional law for the past 32 years — half of which have been spent at Boyd. His knack for storytelling and scholarship has earned him the respect and admiration of his colleagues.

Watkins will soon graduate with her J.D. along with a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. While attending Boyd, she’s held leadership positions in a number of student organizations, including the Public Interest Law Association, the Child Advocacy Association, and the Black Law Students Association. Watkins will work alongside Nevada Supreme Court Justice Michael Douglas during a clerkship in the fall.

After leaving the Amsterdam School of Business, Popova arrived at Boyd to fulfill her dream of becoming a lawyer. While attending law school, she received the State Bar of Nevada Professional Development Fellowship and the Outstanding Student in Mediation community service award. Popova now works as an associate attorney with the law firm of Fox Rothschild, where she practices commercial litigation.

Professor Nancy Rapoport Speaks at UNLV Women's Council Event

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On Feb. 13, she led a University-wide discussion on Sheryl Sandberg's book Lean In. The event, sponsored by the UNLV Women's Council, was attended by female faculty.

Lean In focuses on encouraging women to pursue their goals and aims to change the conversation from what they can't do to what they can.

Jean Sternlight, the Michael and Sonja Saltman Professor of Law and Director of the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution, will also speak at a Women's Council event later this semester. Her talk, scheduled for April 9, will focus on negotiating strategies for women.

Professor Stacey Tovino to Speak at Nevada State Conference on Problem Gambling

Stacey Tovino is the Lincy Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On April 11, Professor Tovino will give a one-hour talk at the 8th Annual Nevada State Conference on Problem Gambling at the Harrah's Hotel and Casino in Reno, Nev. 

Her talk will address health insurance coverage of gambling disorders after the Affordable Care Act.

Professor Tovino is a leading expert in health law, bioethics, and the medical humanities.

Professor Linda Edwards Appointed Boden Visiting Professor at Marquette University

Linda Edwards is the E.L. Cord Foundation Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Professor Edwards has been appointed as the fall 2014 Boden Visiting Professor at Marquette University.

The Boden Professorship remembers Robert F. Boden, Marquette's Dean from 1965 until his death in 1984. In addition to his leadership of the Law School, Dean Boden was known for his writing, his teaching, and his engagement with the legal community.

The Boden Professorship was created in the 1990s and was first held by Daniel R. Mandelker, the Howard A. Stamper Professor of Law at Washington University.

Current Dean Joseph Kearney explains that Boden Professors contribute to developing Marquette Law School faculty and enrich the education of Marquette's students.

As the next Boden Visitor, Professor Edwards will be in residence in Milwaukee during the fall semester and will make several presentations to the faculty on her scholarship, including her recent article on critical legal theory's relationship to law ("Where Do the Prophets Stand?") and her new article forthcoming in the Journal of Legal Education ("The Trouble With Categories"). She will also teach her groundbreaking course, Briefs that Changed the World.

Boyd Alumna Melissa Waite '07 Featured in Las Vegas Review-Journal

On Jan. 15, Boyd alumna Melissa Waite '07 was profiled in the Las Vegas Review-Journal article Nevadan at Work: Lawyer with multiple degrees also uses her psychology degree in everyday life.

In response to the question, "You have a degree in psychology and a minor in economics. What attracted you to a legal career?" Waite responded:

"I left undergraduate (studies) and I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do with my career. I thought about medicine. I decided it wasn’t for me. I thought about law, but I wasn’t quite sure. So I hedged my bets coming out of undergrad — I decided to do my MBA at the same time I went to law school. I thought it would give me a good foundation so that I could go work for a variety of businesses in a variety of different executive capacities. My second year at law school I started at Jolley Urga and it changed my whole perspective."

Professor Thomas McAffee Quoted by 8 News NOW

Thomas McAffee is a William S. Boyd Professor of Law at UNLV.

On Feb. 13, he was quoted in the 8 News NOW story I-Team: Drone Usage Raises Legal Questions About Privacy.

"They could even design them so they couldn't come more than a certain amount of closeness to buildings, for example, so you couldn't just go up to a window and take photographs," he said.

Professor McAffee advises the Nevada Law Journal and teaches American Legal History, First Amendment Rights, and Constitutional Law.

Boyd Faculty Hear from International Legal Scholar Edouard Treppoz

On Feb. 13, Edouard Treppoz - a professor at the University of Lyon, France and Visiting Professor at Columbia Law School - delivered a Faculty Enrichment talk to members of the Boyd School of Law faculty.

Over the lunchtime talk, Professor Treppoz discussed complex issues concerning the extraterritorial application of national laws and the sovereignty of nations that arise in connection with the Internet and the enforcement of national laws on the Internet. In perhaps no other legal field are these issues as visible and pressing as they are in copyright law.

Professor Treppoz holds a Ph.D. in law from the Sorbonne and was a Fulbright scholar at Columbia in 1998.

Feb. 13 Boyd Briefs Now Available

The Feb. 13 edition of Boyd Briefs is now available.

This week's edition features Professor Peter Bayer, students Monica and Paul Janda, and almunus Miles Dickson '11.

Professor Bayer, who recently joined the tenure track, has taught in Boyd’s highly regarded lawyering process curriculum since 2001. He currently teaches some of the law school’s most practice-oriented courses, which include Legal Drafting, Appellate Advocacy, and Lawyering Process.

Spouses Monica and Paul Janda entered Boyd’s part-time evening program in August 2012. Since, they’ve enjoyed sharing ‘date nights’ at the law school with one another, while also having plenty of time to be committed parents to their son Benjamin.

After graduating from Boyd in 2011, Dickson chose a career in community development and public policy. He currently works as a Principal of the JABarrett Company, a management-consulting firm, where he brings expertise and insight to diverse client issues.

To subscribe to Boyd Briefs, visit http://law.unlv.edu/BoydBriefs. 

Associate Professor Addie Rolnick Featured in Al Jazeera America

Addie Rolnick is an Associate Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On Feb. 12, she was featured in the Al Jazeera America article DOJ hearing: We are failing the children of Indian Country.

The article is about the second of four national hearings held by the Attorney General's Advisory Committee on American Indian and Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence. Professor Rolnick was invited to testify as an expert witness.

The article reads, "Rolnick said automatically locking up a child, particularly outside of his community, only exacerbates the trauma the child has gone through, costs more money and perpetuates the cycle of kids being away from their communities and families. Rolnick’s solution for building better juvenile justice systems originates inside tribal communities, and maintains that such systems be purposefully developed around treatment options, early intervention, substance abuse programs and mental health programs. 'Jail, or incarceration, should be the last option,' she said."

Professor Rolnick's scholarship focuses on bridging gaps between civil rights, Critical Race Theory, federal Indian law, and indigenous rights.

Professor Stacey Tovino to Speak at Gaming Law Minefield National Institute

Stacey Tovino is the Lincy Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Professor Tovino today is giving a talk at the Gaming Law Minefield National Institute at the Green Valley Ranch Resort, Spa & Casino. Her talk will address health insurance coverage of gambling disorders in light of the Affordable Care Act and the American Psychiatric Association's new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published in May 2013.

Professor Tovino's co-panelists include Robert Hunter, Ph.D., Founder and Clinical Director of the Problem Gambling Center in Las Vegas; Constance R. Jones, Director of Responsible Gaming, Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers in Las Vegas; Sue McNabb, Consultant, International Masters of Gaming Law in Clinton, Louisiana; and Carole O'Hare, Executive Director of the Nevada Council on Problem Gaming in Las Vegas.

Professor Tovino is a leading expert in health law, bioethics, and the medical humanities.

Boyd Alumnus Kevin Hejmanowski Named Shareholder at Lionel Sawyer & Collins

Lionel Sawyer & Collins has announced that three attorneys have been named new shareholders effective January 1, 2014. The Firm’s three departments—Gaming & Regulatory Law, Litigation, and Business Law—have each added a new partner:

• Jennifer Gaynor is a member of the Firm’s Gaming and Regulatory Law Department and Government Relations team. She represents clients before the Nevada Legislature, various professional and licensing boards and state and local tax authorities. Ms. Gaynor also represents clients on matters involving First Amendment law, public records and open meeting law, election law and regulatory agency actions. She has been recognized as a “Rising Star” for Administrative Law by Mountain States Super Lawyers for 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013. In early 2010, Ms. Gaynor became the Nevada state chair for CARE, a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. She joined the Firm in 2005 after graduating with a J.D. degree from the George Washington University Law School. 

 

• A graduate of the William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Kevin Hejmanowski joined Lionel Sawyer & Collins upon receiving his J.D. in 2006. He is a member of the Firm’s Litigation Department. Mr. Hejmanowski’s practice encompasses a variety of business and commercial litigation matters, including experience in complex litigation cases.

• A member of the Firm’s Business Law Department, Christopher Walther’s practice involves a variety of corporate, transactional, and real estate matters, including corporate governance, secured transactions, and foreclosures of real estate-secured loans. Mr. Walther was named a Rising Star for 2009 for Business/Corporate Law by Mountain States Super Lawyers and as “Up and Coming” by Nevada Business magazine in its 2013 “Legal Elite” rankings. He joined the Firm in 2006 upon receiving his J.D. degree from the University of Oregon School of Law, where he served as executive editor of the Oregon Law Review.

Professor Thomas McAffee and Boyd Alumnus Write for Nevada Lawyer Magazine

William S. Boyd Professor of Law Thomas McAffee and Boyd alumnus Michael Giles '06 have written articles for the February issue of Nevada Lawyer, the State Bar of Nevada's monthly publication.

Professor McAffee wrote the article Heller, Nevada and the Second Amendment: Minimalism, Tradition and Modern Constitutional Jurisprudence.

In it, he writes, "In the last few years, it has become increasingly unclear whether the Supreme Court's decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008) is best conceived as a decision to assimilate the right to keep and bear arms into the modern tradition of fundamental rights adjudication or, instead, as a strong form of minimalist and deferential substantive decision-making."

Giles wrote Elements of a Self-Defense Claim in Nevada as well as The Path to Full Incorporation of the Second Amendment: An Individual Right.

In the latter, he writes, "While Heller and McDonald changed the landscape of Second Amendment jurisprudence, they will certainly not be the final word. Shortly after the court ruled in McDonald, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals held that Illinois, the last state to prohibit the carrying of concealed firearms by citizens, was violating the Second Amendment by depriving citizens of the right to carry or bear the most effective self-defense tool available, while outside of their homes. Rather than appealing, the Illinois state legislature passed a law permitting the issuance of concealed carry permits. Only time will tell if we have heard the last word from the Supreme Court on the Second Amendment but, with two 5-4 decisions to rely on, I, for one, doubt it."

To see the entire February issue of Nevada Lawyer, visit http://nvbar.org/articles/article/february-2014.  

Boyd Alumni Featured in Nevada Lawyer Magazine

(l-r) Eighth Judicial District Judge Elizabeth
Gonzalez, Eunice Beattie '06, and Eighth Judicial
District Chief Judge Jennifer P. Togliatti

Several Boyd alumni were featured in the January issue of Nevada Lawyer, the State Bar of Nevada's monthly magazine.

Terry "TJ" Johnson '11 and Eunice Beattie '06 were spotlighted in the Many Become ONE for Pro Bono Celebration 2013 article.

The American Bar Association observed a nationwide Pro Bono Celebration from Oct. 20 to 26. The State Bar of Nevada and the Access to Justice Commission launched a "Become the One" campaign to encourage pro bono work.

Terry "TJ" Johnson '11 and his wife, Yvonne

The Many Become ONE for Pro Bono Celebration 2013 article focuses on the volunteer services attorneys provided to Nevada residents during the month of October.

Johnson was featured for being named Pro Bono Attorney of the Year by Nevada Legal Services. Beattie was featured for receiving the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada's Volunteer of the Month award.

Alumna Kendelee Works '05 authored the Young Lawyers: What to Do? article, a column she regularly writes as Chair of the Young Lawyers Section. 

Kendelee Works '05

"As the holidays come to a close and we begin a new year, many of us will take time to reflect on the events of the past 12 months and to create goals for the coming year. For a majority of newly-minted andyoung lawyers, goals take the shape of professional ambitions," Works writes in the article. "I would caution you, though, not to lose sight of who you were before you became a lawyer and to at least attempt to maintain some semblance of that person. It is all too easy to become entirely consumed with the practice of law, especially during the first few grueling years of practice."

To see the entire January issue of Nevada Lawyer, visit http://nvbar.org/articles/article/january-2014. 

Professor Jeffrey Stempel Provides Commentary on KNPR State of Nevada

Jeffrey Stempel is the Doris S. and Theodore B. Lee Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On Feb. 11, he provided commentary on KNPR's State of Nevada segment titled Whatever Happened to Lawyers' Ethics?

"I think generally there's quite a rigorous system of trying to screen people, and I know the Bar examination vetting on Character and Fitness is very strong. There's, I think, very competent Bar Counsel in the state. It isn't just the Bar. You have federal prosecutors, state prosecutors. We have a very active press. I think the infrastructure is really pretty sound," Professor Stempel said. "What we're seeing lately is more likely to be a reflection of its soundness than the idea that there are 10 going free for every that gets caught."

Professor Stempel has numerous publications to his credit, including books, treatise chapters and supplements, and law review articles. He is a 1981 graduate of Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal and co-founder of the Yale Law and Policy Review.

William S. Boyd School of Law Students Publish a Special Oral Histories Issue of the UNLV Gaming Law Journal

A group of William S. Boyd School of Law students has recently published the latest issue of the UNLV Gaming Law Journal, a journal of legal scholarship dedicated to analyzing the law and policy implications of gaming case law, legislation, administrative regulations, and important gaming legal events. This edition – Volume 4, Issue 2 – is a special issue of the Journal, featuring oral history interviews from some of the biggest names in Nevada gaming, including William S. Boyd, Burton Cohen, and Peter Bernhard.

The issue can be downloaded at http://scholars.law.unlv.edu/glj/vol4/iss2/.

“The Nevada gaming industry has a renowned and fascinating history which has helped the state become one of the most recognizable gaming jurisdictions in the world. The purpose of this special oral histories issue is to capture the history of Nevada gaming through the personal stories of individuals who have helped shape the industry into what it is today,” said Eric Walther, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal.

Each oral history – captured by Claytee White, director of the Oral History Research Center at UNLV Libraries – provides a unique perspective on Nevada gaming given the interviewees’ diverse roles in the industry and their different paths in life.

“We plan for this to be an ongoing project where we capture more oral histories from individuals who have helped build this industry,” said Walther. “Together, this collection will truly give readers a never-before-seen look at the history of Nevada gaming.”

The UNLV Gaming Law Journal is published by the students of the Boyd School of Law in conjunction with the International Masters of Gaming Law. Additional information about the Journal, including how to submit articles, can be found at http://law.unlv.edu/unlv-gaming-law-journal.html.

About the interviewees:

William S. Boyd: Mr. Boyd serves as executive chairman of Boyd Gaming Corporation, which operates 22 gaming properties in eight states. Moreover, Mr. Boyd and his family are well known for their leadership and community service in every community in which their company operates. Mr. Boyd’s oral history is a classic American success story. Coming from humble beginnings, Mr. Boyd traces how he and his family were able to build a national gaming empire. With the immense influence Mr. Boyd has had on the national gaming industry, it is truly special to have his story, told in his own words, published in the Journal.

Burton Cohen: Mr. Cohen is a long-time casino executive who has opened and operated some of the most recognized gaming properties in Las Vegas, including the Frontier Casino, Circus Circus, the Flamingo Hotel Casino, the Thunderbird Hotel, Caesars Palace, and the Desert Inn & Country Club. Mr. Cohen is known for taking over the failing Dunes Hotel and Casino and successfully positioning it for a record-breaking $155 million bankruptcy sale. Mr. Cohen’s contributions to the Las Vegas gaming industry are undeniable, and his oral history is a fascinating look at how the industry got to where it is today.

Peter Bernhard: Mr. Bernhard has had an incredibly distinguished career in Nevada gaming. He is the current and longest serving Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission. As Chairman, Mr. Bernhard heads a gaming regulatory system that is used as a model throughout the world. His leadership on the Commission has been instrumental in a time of incredible technological advancement in gaming. With his perspective as a regulator, Mr. Bernhard’s oral history gives great insight into how the industry got to where it is today and where it is headed next.