UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS

WILLIAM S. BOYD SCHOOL OF LAW

4505 S. MARYLAND PARKWAY, BOX 451003

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 89154-1003

Telephone: (702) 895-3671

Fax: (702) 895-1095

URL: http://www.law.unlv.edu

 

The William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is the first state‑supported law school in Nevada history, and the only law school in the state. The school offers full‑time day, part‑time evening, and part‑time day J.D. programs, as well as J.D./M.B.A., J.D./M.S.W., and J.D./Ph.D. (Education) programs. The school’s curriculum is designed to stress professionalism, community service, and dispute avoidance/dispute resolution through a combination of skills training, traditional pedagogy, and exposure to different public policy players and sources of law.

 

History

Since opening its doors in August 1998, the Boyd School of Law has established itself as a national institution. The school was approved by the legislature in 1997, and Richard J. Morgan, then dean of the Arizona State University College of Law, was chosen as founding dean. In just over a year, Dean Morgan and his staff managed to hire faculty, recruit students, develop an academic program, renovate a temporary facility, create a law library, and enroll a charter class of 140 students.

 

The law school achieved provisional American Bar Association accreditation in 2000, the earliest possible time, and graduated its first class in May 2001. A year later the school moved to its permanent home on the UNLV campus, William S. Boyd Hall and the James E. Rogers Center for Administration and Justice. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy spoke at the dedication of the new building.

 

Shortly thereafter, the law school achieved full accreditation, and in early 2004 gained membership in the Association of American Law Schools. In fall 2007, the law school opened the Thomas & Mack Moot Court, a 6,000‑square‑foot facility designed to support the school’s trial advocacy, Kids’ Court, and appellate advocacy programs and to provide a venue for judicial proceedings by state and federal courts, including the Nevada Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

 

In August 2007, John Valery White, a faculty member of the Paul M. Herbert Law Center at Louisiana State University, became Boyd’s second dean and will lead the school as it enters its second decade. In the 2007‑2008 academic year, the law school had a student body of over 450.

Faculty Excellence

The faculty of the law school is well known nationally and internationally for scholarship and innovative teaching. Faculty publications include hundreds of books, book chapters, law review articles, and dozens of bar publications. Faculty members bring their expertise into the classroom and challenge students to achieve excellence. In 2007‑2008, Boyd faculty members have given presentations at many excellent law schools including Harvard Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington University School of Law, and University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. Faculty Profiles: www.law.unlv.edu/faculty/all‑faculty.html

 

Alumni & Student Achievements

Boyd students and alumni have earned praise throughout the state of Nevada and beyond for their top‑notch legal skills, professionalism, and commitment to serving the community. In addition to joining some of the best law firms in Nevada and nationwide, Boyd graduates have served in the Nevada State Legislature and more than a dozen have clerked in the chambers of judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Boyd students have compiled an impressive record of distinction in national and regional moot court competitions, particularly in the areas of negotiations and client counseling. In the annual American Bar Association client counseling national competitions, Boyd students have placed first, second, or third since 2005 and represented the United States at the 2007 international competition, where they finished third.

 

Community Outreach

The law school’s mission of training ethical and effective lawyers and leaders emphasizes the importance of contributing to the community. Through Boyd’s mandatory community service program, first‑year students work with Clark County Legal Services and Nevada Legal Services to prepare and conduct weekly workshops for unrepresented people. Open to the public, these free classes cover basic procedures in family or small claims court and matters related to paternity, custody, guardianship, and bankruptcy.

 

Thomas & Mack Legal Clinic

Opened in 2000, the innovative interdisciplinary Thomas & Mack Legal Clinic gives student attorneys the chance to work under faculty supervision with UNLV graduate social work, education, and psychology students to provide high‑quality representation to children, and adults. www.law.unlv.edu/clinic.html

 

Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution

The Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution, established in 2003, hosts scholarly presentations and other special events on such topics as theories of conflict resolution, substantive analysis of specific conflicts that affect the public interests, and methods of conflict avoidance and resolution. In addition, a practice component provides hands‑on experience to students. www.law.unlv.edu/saltman.html

 

Lawyering Process Program

The nationally recognized Lawyering Process Program emphasizes professionalism while giving students the opportunity to explore the relationship between legal analysis and a variety of lawyering skills, including legal writing in advocacy and transactional contexts, research strategies, oral advocacy, client interviewing, counseling, and negotiation. www.law.unlv.edu/lawyeringProcess.html

 

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Dean and Professor of Law:

John Valery White (702) 895‑1876

Director of Admissions and Financial Aid:

Gerald Sequeira (702) 895‑4107

Dir. of the Wiener‑Rogers Law Library & Assoc. Prof. of Law:

Jeanne Price (702) 895‑2404

Director of Career Services:

Cynthia Asher (702) 895‑2425

Associate Dean for Administration and Student Affairs:

Christine Smith (702) 895‑1872

Dean for Student Advancement:

Frank Durand (702) 895‑1240

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs:

Kay Kindred (702) 895‑2438

Assoc. Dean, Fac. Dev. & Res. and E.L. Weigand Prof. of Law:

Steve Johnson (702) 895‑4990

Associate Dean for Clinical Studies and Professor of Law:

David Thronson (702) 895‑2422

Dir., Saltman Ctr. Con. Res., Michael & Sonja Saltman Prof.:

Jean Sternlight (702) 895‑2358

Dir., Lawyering Proc. Prog. & Ralph Denton Prof. of Law:

Terrill Pollman (702) 895‑2407

Assoc. Dir., Lawyering Pro. Prg. & Ralph Denton Prof. of Law:

Jean Whitney (702) 895‑2357

Director of Communications:

Catherine Bacos (702) 895‑5869

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FULL TIME FACULTY

 

JOHN VALERY WHITE, (Dean and Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1991, Connecticut; 1993, New York. Education: Southern University (B.A., 1988); Yale Law School (J.D., 1991). COURSES: Civil Rights, Employment Discrimination, International Human Rights, Race and Law. Email: john.white@unlv.edu

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RAQUEL E. ALDANA, (Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1997, Arizona. Education: Arizona State University (B.A., 1993); Harvard Law School (J.D., 1997). COURSES: Criminal Procedure, Immigration Law, International Human Rights, International Organizations. Email: raquel.aldana@unlv.edu

 

RACHEL J. ANDERSON, (Associate Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 2006, New York. Education: Universität zu Berlin (1998); Stanford University (M.A., 2002); University of California, Berkeley (J.D., 2005). COURSES: Business Law, Private International Law, Public International Law, Transnational Law. Email: rachel.anderson@unlv.edu

 

PETER BRANDON BAYER, (Lawyering Process Professor), admitted to bar, 1978, New York. Education: New York University (M.A., 1971; J.D., 1978); Harvard Law School (LL.M., 1984). COURSES: Lawyering Process, Legal Writing, Administrative Law, Jurisprudence, Employment Discrimination. Email: peter.bayer@unlv.edu

 

MARY E. BERKHEISER, (Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1984, Arizona. Education: University of Arizona (B.A.; J.D., 1984). COURSES: Appellate Law, Clinical Legal Education, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Juvenile Justice Clinic, Federal Courts. Email: mary.berkheiser@unlv.edu

 

BRET C. BIRDSONG, (Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1994, New York; 1996, District of Columbia. Education: Princeton University (A.B., 1987); Hastings College of Law (J.D., 1993). COURSES: Administrative Law, Civil Procedure, Environmental Law, Natural Resources. Email: bret.birdsong@unlv.edu

 

CHRISTOPHER L. BLAKESLEY, (The Cobeaga Law Firm Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1973, Utah; 1975, District of Columbia. Education: University of Utah (B.A., 1968; J.D., 1973); The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University (M.A., 1970); Columbia University (LL.M., 1976; J.S.D., 1985). COURSES: Comparative Criminal Law & Procedure, Domestic Criminal Law, Family Law, International Criminal Law, Public International Law. Email: chris.blakesley@unlv.edu

 

RICHARD L. BROWN, (Professor Emeritus), admitted to bar, 1975, California. Education: University of California, Los Angeles (B.A., 1967); University of Washington (M.L.L., 1973); Indiana University School of Law (J.D., 1975). COURSES: Wills, Trusts and Estates, Property. Email: richard.brown@unlv.edu

 

JAY S. BYBEE, (Senior Fellow in Constitutional Law, Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District), admitted to bar, 1981, District of Columbia. Education: Brigham Young University (B.A., 1977); Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School (J.D., 1980). COURSES: Constitutional Law, Civil Procedure, Federal Courts. Email: jay_bybee@CA9.uscouorts.gov

 

ANN CAMMETT, (Associate Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 2001, New York; 2007, District of Columbia. Education: School of Visual Arts (B.F.A., 1985); City University of New York School of Law (J.D., 2000); Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M., 2008‑expected). COURSES: Civil Procedure I & II, Family Law. Email: ann.cammett@unlv.edu

 

ROBERT I. CORREALES, (Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1992, Kansas. Education: University of Kansas (J.D., 1991); Georgetown University (LL.M., 1993). COURSES: Employment Law, Evidence, Torts, Worker's Compensation. Email: robert.correales@unlv.edu

 

MARTIN A. GEER, (Externship Director), admitted to bar, 1977, Michigan; 1994, Maryland; 2001, New York; 2002, Nevada. Education: University of Michigan (B.A., 1974); Wayne State University (J.D., 1977); Columbia University (LL.M., 1991). COURSES: Civil Rights, Criminal Procedure, Clinical Legal Education, Externships, International Human Rights. Email: martin.geer@unlv.edu

 

SARA GORDON, (Lawyering Process Professor), admitted to bar, 2004, Nevada. Education: Pitzer College (B.A., 1998); James E. Rogers College of Law (J.D., 2004). COURSES: Community Property, Lawyering Process, Employment Law, Legal Drafting, Advanced Advocacy. Email: sara.gordon@unlv.edu

 

DOUGLAS L. GRANT, (Cord Foundation Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1967, Colorado; 1977, Idaho. Education: University of Iowa (B.A., 1962); University of Colorado (J.D., 1967). COURSES: Property, Real Estate Finance, Water Law. Email: doug.grant@unlv.edu

 

JENNIFER GROSS, (Reference Librarian, Wiener‑Rogers Law Library and Associate Professor), admitted to bar, 1993, New Jersey. Education: University of Pennsylvania (B.A., 1990); Pace University School of Law (J.D., 1993); University of Washington (M.L.S., 1995). COURSES: Advanced Legal Research, Nevada Legal Research. Email: jennifer.gross@unvl.edu

 

LYNNE N. HENDERSON, (Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1979, California. Education: Stanford University (B.A., 1975; J.D., 1979). COURSES: Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Feminist Jurisprudence, Victim's Rights, Violence Against Women. Email: lynne.henderson@unlv.edu

 

MICHAEL J. HIGDON, (Lawyering Process Professor), admitted to bar, 2001, Nevada; 2003, California. Education: Erskine College (B.A., 1995); University of Nevada, Las Vegas (M.A., 1997; J.D., 2001). COURSES: Lawyering Process, Legal Drafting, Advanced Advocacy, Wills, Trust & Estates. Email: michael.higdon@unlv.edu

 

STEVE R. JOHNSON, (E.L. Wiegand Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1982, New York. Education: St. Francis College (B.A., 1976); New York University (J.D., 1981). COURSES: Administrative Law, Gaming Law, Statutory Interpretation, Tax Law, Estate & Gift Tax. Email: steve.johnson@unlv.edu

 

KAY P. KINDRED, (Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1980, New York. Education: Duke University (A.B., 1977); Columbia University School of Law (J.D., 1980). COURSES: Children and the Law, Contracts, Education Law, Family Law, Remedies. Email: kay.kindred@unlv.edu

 

KATHERINE R. KRUSE, (Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1989, Wisconsin; 2002, Nevada. Education: Oberlin College (B.A., 1984); University of Wisconsin‑Madison (M.A., 1986; J.D., 1989). COURSES: Clinical Legal Education, Criminal Law, Professional Responsibility, Evidence. Email: kate.kruse@unlv.edu

 

MARY LAFRANCE, (William S. Boyd Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1987, Pennsylvania; 1988, District of Columbia; 1989, Florida. Education: Bryn Mawr College (A.B., 1981); Duke University School of Graduate Studies (M.A., 1986); Duke University of Law (J.D., 1986). COURSES: Entertainment Law, Intellectual Property, Trademark Law, Tax. Email: mary.lafrance@unlv.edu

 

SYLVIA R. LAZOS, (Justice Myron Leavitt Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1987, Puerto Rico. Education: St. Mary's University (B.A., 1977; M.A., 1979); University of Michigan Law School (J.D., 1986). COURSES: Constitutional Law, Critical Race Theory/LatCrit Theory, Immigration Policy, Race & Law, Voting Rights & Initiatives, Legislation. Email: sylvia.lazos@unlv.edu

 

GEORGE MADER, (Lawyering Process Professor), admitted to bar, 2000, Minnesota. Education: St. John's University (B.A., 1987); University of Wisconsin (M.A., 1991); University of Minnesota Law School (J.D., 2000). COURSES: Appellate Advocacy, Constitutional History, Lawyering Process, Statutory Interpretation. Email: george.mader@unlv.edu

 

BRUCE A. MARKELL, (Senior Fellow in Bankruptcy and Commercial Law, U.S. Bankruptcy, Judge, District of Nevada), admitted to bar, 1980, California; 1997, Indiana; 2002, Nevada. Education: Pitzer College (B.A., 1977); University of California, Davis School of Law, King Hall (J.D., 1980). COURSES: Contracts, Bankruptcy, Securitization, Commercial Law, Secured Transactions. Email: bruce_markell@nvb.uscourts.gov

 

THOMAS MCAFFEE, (Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1980, California. Education: University of Utah (B.S., 1976); University of Utah, College of Law (J.D., 1979). COURSES: Constitutional Law, American Legal History, First Amendment Rights. Email: tom.macaffee@unlv.edu

 

ANN MCGINLEY, (William S. Boyd Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1982, Pennsylvania; 1984, Minnesota; 1987, New Jersey. Education: Rosemont College (B.A., 1973); University of Delaware (M.A., 1974); University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D., 1982). COURSES: Torts, Employment Discrimination, Employment Law, Disability Law, Civil Procedure. Email: ann.mcginley@unlv.edu

 

FRANCIS J. MOOTZ III, (William S. Boyd Professor at Law), Education: University of Notre Dame (B.A., 1983); Duke University Graduate School (A.M., 1986); Duke University School of Law (J.D., 1986). COURSES: Sales, Payment Systems, Jurisprudence Seminar. Email: jay.mootz@unlv.edu

 

REBECCA NATHANSON, (James E. Rogers Professor of Education & Law), Education: University of California, Los Angeles (B.A., 1983); University of California, Santa Barbara (M.A., 1986; Ph.D., 1993). COURSES: Education Clinic, Child Witness, Children & the Law. Email: rebecca.nathanson@unlv.edu

 

RAYMOND W. PATTERSON, (Associate Director of the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution), admitted to bar, 1996, Massachusetts; 1997, New York. Education: State University of New York at Stony Brook (B.S., 1969); Adelphi University (M.A., 1973); Yeshiva University (J.D., 1996). COURSES: Mediations. Email: ray.patterson@unlv.edu

 

NGAI PINDELL, (Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1996, Maryland. Education: Duke University (A.B., 1993); Harvard University Law School (J.D., 1996). COURSES: Property, Land Use Regulation, Local Government Law, Community Economic Development. Email: ngai.pindell@unlv.edu

 

TERRILL POLLMAN, (Ralph Denton Professor of Law, Director of the Lawyering Process Program), admitted to bar, 1990, Arizona. Education: University of Arizona (B.A., 1973); University of Arizona College of Law (J.D., 1990); University of Illinois College of Law (LL.M.). COURSES: Lawyering Process, Property, Indian Law, Negotiation, Feminist Jurisprudence. Email: terrill.pollman@unlv.edu

 

JEANNE F. PRICE, (Director of Wiener‑Rogers Law Library and Associate Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1982, Texas. Education: Yale University (B.A., 1978); University of Texas (J.D., 1982); University of Maryland (M.L.S., 1999). COURSES: Research Methods, Information Policy. Email: jeanne.price@unlv.edu

 

NANCY RAPOPORT, (Gordon & Silver, Ltd Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1987, California; 1993, Ohio; 1999, Nebraska; 2001, Texas; 2008, Nevada. Education: Rice University (B.A., 1982); Stanford Law School (J.D., 1985). COURSES: Bankruptcy, Business Ethics, Corporate Governance, Law and Popular Culture, Professional Ethics, Contracts. Email: nancy.rapoport@unlv.edu

 

PETER REILLY, (Director of Negotiation Training, Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution), admitted to bar, 1994, Pennsylvania; 1996, District of Columbia. Education: Princeton University (A.B., 1988); Harvard Law School (J.D. 1993); Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M., 2004). COURSES: Negotiations. Email: peter.reilly@unlv.edu

 

KEITH A. ROWLEY, (Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1992, Texas. Education: Baylor University (B.A., 1985); Harvard University (M.P.P., 1987); University of Texas School of Law (J.D., 1992). COURSES: Commercial Law, Contracts, Economics and the Law, Sales & Leases, Secured Transactions, Securities Regulation. Email: keith.rowley@unlv.edu

 

TUAN SAMAHON, (Associate Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 2000, Virginia; 2001, District of Columbia. Education: Brigham Young University (B.A., 1996); Georgetown University Law Center (J.D., 2000). COURSES: Civil Procedure, Federal Courts, International Business Transactions, Constitutional Law. Email: tuan.samahon@unlv.edu

 

LETICIA M. SAUCEDO, (Associate Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1996. Texas. Education: Bryn Mawr College (A.B., 1984); Harvard Law School (J.D., 1996). COURSES: Torts, Clinical Legal Education, Immigration Law, Labor and Employment Law. Email: leticia.saucedo@unlv.edu

 

REBECCA L. SCHARF, (Lawyering Process Professor), admitted to bar, 1992, New York; 1996, District of Columbia. Education: Brandeis University (B.A., 1988); Harvard Law School (J.D., 1991). COURSES: Family Law, Legal Drafting, Lawyering Process. Email: rebecca.scharf@unlv.edu

 

ELAINE W. SHOBEN, (Judge Jack and Lulu Lehman Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1974, California. Education: Barnard College (B.A., 1970); Hastings College of the Law (J.D., 1974). COURSES: Torts, Employment Discrimination, Employment Law, Remedies, Legislation. Email: elaine.shoben@unlv.edu

 

JEFFREY W. STEMPEL, (Doris S. and Theodore B. Lee Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1981, Minnesota; 2001, Nevada. Education: University of Minnesota (B.A., 1977); Yale Law School (J.D., 1981). COURSES: Civil Procedure, Evidence, Professional Responsibility, Insurance Law, Contracts. Email: jeff.stempel@unlv.edu

 

JEAN R. STERNLIGHT, (Director of the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution, Michael & Sonja Saltman Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1984, New York; 1985, Pennsylvania. Education: Swarthmore College (B.A., 1979); Harvard Law School (J.D., 1983). COURSES: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Arbitration, Civil Procedure, Mediation. Email: jean.sternlight@unlv.edu

 

DAVID S. TANENHAUS, (James E. Rogers Professor of History & Law), Education: Grinnell College (B.A., 1990); University of Chicago (M.A., 1991); University of Chicago (Ph.D., 1997). COURSES: Juvenile Justice, Legal History. Email: david.tanenhaus@unlv.edu

 

DAVID B. THRONSON, (Associate Dean for Clinical Studies, Professor of Law), admitted to bar, 1995, Massachusetts; 1995, New York; 1997, New Jersey; 2003, Nevada. Education: University of Kansas (B.S., 1985); Columbia University (M.A., 1990); Harvard Law School (J.D., 1994). COURSES: Civil Procedure, Human Rights, Clinical Legal Education, Immigration Law, International Law. Email: david.thronson@unlv.edu

 

ANNE TRAUM, (Associate Professor of Law), Education: Brown University (A.B., 1991); University of California, Hastings College of the Law (J.D., 1996). COURSES: Criminal Procedure, Appellate Clinic. Email: anne.traum@unlv.edu

 

JEAN WHITNEY, (Ralph Denton Professor of Law, Associate Director of the Lawyering Process Program), born September 28, 1952; admitted to bar, 1988, Minnesota. Education: University of Minnesota (B.A., 1974; M.Ed., 1980); William Mitchell College of Law (J.D., 1988). COURSES: Lawyering Process, Legal Drafting, Professional Responsibility, Juvenile Law, Legal Education & Assistance to Prisoners. Email: jean.whitney@unlv.edu