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.

Boyd Alumnus Shane Clayton Joins Durham Jones & Pinegar

Attorney Shane W. Clayton joined the Las Vegas office of Durham Jones & Pinegar.

Clayton, a shareholder, is a member of the firm’s Litigation section. His practice focuses on commercial litigation, construction law, insurance coverage litigation, personal injury and real estate.

Clayton received his J.D. from the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2004. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Brigham Young University.

Clayton was named a Mountain States Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2012 and 2013. He was also named to Nevada’s Legal Elite in 2013.

Prior to joining Durham Jones & Pinegar, Clayton was a director in the law offices of Marquis Aurbach Coffing.

Associate Professor Anne Traum Writes Article for Communiqué, Highlights Work of Alumnus Seth Floyd '10

Anne Traum is Associate Dean for Experiential Legal Education, Associate Professor of Law, and Director of the Appellate Clinic at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

She wrote an article titled Taking Pro Bono to the Next Level for the February issue of the Clark County Bar Association's Communiqué magazine.

"Nevada lawyers... now have a new opportunity to handle pro bono appeals in the Nevada Supreme Court. This is because the court in 2013, under the leadership of then-Chief Justice Kristina Pickering, expanded its pro bono program to include more appeals and more lawyers. The Nevada Appellate Pro Bono Program provides the perfect opportunity for lawyers to develop appellate skills while serving a critical need," the article reads.

In her article, Professor Traum highlights the work of Boyd alumnus Seth Floyd '10.

"When Seth Floyd, an associate at MacDonald Carano Wilson in Las Vegas, had the opportunity to take a pro bono appeal last August, he leaped at the chance. Seth had added his name to a list of lawyers willing to accept pro bono appeals for indigent clients with a guarantee of oral argument before the Nevada Supreme Court. He took a family law case and, so far, the experience has been as rich as anticipated: 'I have been exposed to every detail of an appeal, from the initial client meting to compiling the appendix to brief-writing,'" the article says.

Professor Traum's research focuses on criminal adjudication and sentencing, immigration, and habeas corpus. 

Professors Jeffrey Stempel and Thomas Main Help Organize Symposium, to Present Papers

Jeffrey Stempel, Doris S. and Theodore B. Lee Professor of Law,
& Thomas Main, Associate Dean for Faculty Development
and Research and William S. Boyd Professor of Law

Jeffrey Stempel is the Doris S. and Theodore B. Lee Professor of Law at the Boyd School of Law. Thomas Main is Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Research and a William S. Boyd Professor of Law at UNLV.

Together, they are helping organize a symposium co-sponsored by the Boyd School of Law and the Northeastern University School of Law. The symposium, titled Through a Glass Starkly: Civil Procedure Reassessed, will take place April 11 and 12 at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass.

Professors Stempel and Main will present papers at the symposium. All papers presented will be printed in the Nevada Law Journal, a journal of legal scholarship dedicated to analyzing the law and policy implications of significant case law, legislation, administrative regulations and important legal events.

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.

Professor Main is a leading figure in the field of civil procedure. Most of his scholarship explores the history of procedure, with current projects focused on judicial efficiency initiatives in the 1950s-1970s.