LGBT Section Wins Section Pro Bono Challenge
The State Bar of Nevada is pleased to announce that the LGBT Section has won the state bar’s Section Pro Bono Challenge! As a result, the section will receive the State Bar of Nevada 2023 Volunteer of the Year award. LGBT Section Chair Kevin Kampschror will accept the award at the annual Bar Conference in New York City on June 22.
 
Together, all the combined pro bono work and donations by the participating sections earned a final total of 1,451 points during the challenge. These points represent 109 pro bono cases accepted by 198 attorneys, 556 volunteers at Ask-A-Lawyer or Lawyer in the Library sessions, and $6,335 in donations raised. Every dollar of the donated funds goes to legal aid organizations based on the IOLTA formula. Cases earned three points, “Asks” were worth two points, and donations generated one point for every $500 donated.
 
Top Section Volunteers, Ranked by Top 10 Sections:

  • LGBT – Bonnie Smith;
  • Family Law – Robert Cerceo;
  • Probate & Trust – Kendal Weisenmiller;
  • Public Lawyers – Homa Woodrum;
  • Appellate Litigation – Timothy Wiseman;
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution – Fran Fine;
  • Cannabis – Tie – Amanda Connor, David Connor, Amy Meyer;
  • Young Lawyers – Monique Jammer;
  • Solo and Small Practice – Max Stovall; and
  • Real Property – Michael Kalish.

A more detailed section recap is available on the leaderboard. See the participants.
 
In addition to recognition at the State Bar of Nevada annual Bar Conference, the volunteers listed above will be invited to a lunch with the Nevada Supreme Court and Nevada Court of Appeals this fall, and all participants will be invited to judicial events in Las Vegas and Reno. Finally, top sections and volunteers will be featured in an upcoming issue of Nevada Lawyer.
 
Thank you to all the section leaders, section volunteers, State Bar of Nevada President Paola Armeni, the Board of Governors, all Nevada legal aid providers, and the Nevada judiciary for supporting the challenge.
This Week at the State Bar
The State Bar of Nevada is currently accepting applications for a Programs Manager. Learn more and apply on our Employment Opportunities page.

We need you to share your experiences related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in Nevada's legal community. The bar’s DEI survey was mailed out May 22. Look for an email “From: State Bar of Nevada <noreply@qemailserver.com>” to participate. If you have any questions, please contact 775-784-6272 or tgiannetta@unr.edu.
 
The State Bar of Nevada makes office and meeting room space available to members at no charge. Meet with clients, use office resources, or reserve temporary workspace in either the Las Vegas headquarters, located at 3100 W. Charleston Blvd, Suite 100, or at the Northern Nevada Bar Center, located at 9456 Double R Blvd., Suite B, in Reno. Call 800-254-2797 to make a reservation.

Going somewhere? One of the benefits of being a state bar member is access to discounts on rental cars from both Avis and Budget. Use the bar’s discount codes and get up to 25 percent off when making a reservation.

Do you have unclaimed or unidentifiable funds in your Nevada client trust account? The Unclaimed Funds Program is the right resource for you! If a lawyer or law firm has made reasonable but unsuccessful efforts to disburse funds from their IOLTA account to their rightful owner, those funds may be remitted to the State Bar of Nevada’s Clients’ Security Fund after a term of five years.
Comment Period Open for Board of Governors Meeting on June 21
The Board of Governors of the State Bar of Nevada has set a time for a public comment period on the agenda for its upcoming meeting at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 21.
 
If you are interested in addressing the Board of Governors at that meeting, please email Manny Botello at mannyb@nvbar.org by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 14 for the zoom link to this meeting. 
Student Loan Repayment Program Open Now
The Department of Indigent Defense Services (DIDS) is excited to announce that DIDS has been designated by the U.S. Department of Justice to award and disburse loan repayment assistance through the JRJ Loan Repayment Program. The State of Nevada will provide grant funding to eligible full-time public defenders and prosecutors (including tribal government) who have outstanding qualifying federal student loans, not to exceed $10,000 per applicant.
 
 
The deadline to apply is Tuesday, June 13.
International Law Firm 23rd to Earn DEI Recognition by State Bar
Congratulations to Greenberg Traurig.
 
This organization is the 23rd in Nevada to receive the Partner in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Medallion from the State Bar of Nevada. The medallion is awarded to firms that complete at least five DEI initiatives in the categories of recruitment, retention, pipeline and community programs, and coaching and training.

Upcoming Eighth Judicial District Court Bench-Bar Meetings
The Eighth Judicial District Court’s next Civil Bench-Bar Meeting will be held at noon on Tuesday, June 13, at the Regional Justice Center, Courtroom D, and via Zoom. For the Zoom link, please RSVP to denmanl@clarkcountycourts.us.
 
The Las Vegas Justice Court’s next Civil Bench-Bar Meeting will be held at noon on Tuesday, June 27, at the Regional Justice Center, Courtroom B and via Zoom.
First Judicial District Bar Association Hosting Lunch-and-Learn
The First Judicial District Bar Association welcomes all attorneys to join its members for an educational lunch at noon Friday, June 9, at Red’s Old 395 Grill, located at 1055 South Carson St. in Carson City. The meeting will be held in the Assembly Room.
 
During the event, Michael Morton from the Nevada Gaming Control Board will present updates on Nevada gaming law. The presentation provides 1 hour of general CLE Credit.
 
Lunch is $25 for non-members, and $20 for FJDBA members. To RSVP contact Anne Laughlin at fjdba1@gmail.com or call 775-671-2414.
Featured CLE: Advanced Legal Writing
The Appellate Litigation Section is sponsoring a full-day CLE seminar focusing on best practices for legal writing.
 
National speaker Elizabeth Francis will apply advanced composition principles to legal writing, particularly writing in litigation and appellate contexts. Beginning with questions of aim, audience, and style, the class will define clear, coherent, cohesive, and well-argued legal prose.
 
Learning objectives are:
 
  • Learn to define and compose clear, coherent, cohesive, and well-argued legal prose.
  • Learn to recognize the best practices in legal and judicial writing at this historical moment.
  • Learn to consider relationships among writing, decision-making, and argument.
  • Learn to acknowledge our inheritance of the plain language movement and the effects of that movement on current practice.
Program Date:
Thursday, July 20
 
Time:
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
 
Location:
State Bar of Nevada office in Reno
 
CLE Hours:
6 General Credits