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Nevada Judicial Historical Society

NVJHS is dedicated to the preservation and better understanding of the history of Nevada's judiciary and bar.

On this Page

This page provides a list of current and former Nevada justices and judges who have served on the Nevada Appellate Court, the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. For each individual, the dates of service in their respective roles are listed. Where applicable and available, citations are included for related memorials, investiture ceremonies, and other articles.

What is an investiture?

An investiture is a formal ceremony where someone is officially appointed to a specific position. In this case, it refers to the swearing-in of a judge or justice. For the Nevada Supreme Court and Nevada Court of Appeals, investiture ceremonies are documented in the Nevada Reports.

Nevada Supreme Court

Justice

Dates of Service

Memorial

Investiture

Other

Brosnan, Cornelius M.

1864-1867

     

Beatty, Henry Oscar

1864-1868

     

Lewis, James F.

1864-1873

19 Nev. 449

   

Johnson, John Neely

1867-1871

     

Whitman, Bernard Crosby

1868-1875

19 Nev. 445

   

Garber, John

1871-1872

30 Nev. 507Portrait

   

Belknap, Charles Henry

1872-1875

50 Nev. 443Portrait

   

Hawley, Thomas Porter

1873-1890

29 Nev. 597, Portrait

   

Earll, Warner

1875-1877

19 Nev. 453

   

Beatty, William Henry

1875-1881

37 Nev. 511Portrait

168 Cal. 799 (Memorial)

 

Leonard, Orville Rinaldo

1877-1889

     

Belknap, Charles Henry

1881-1905

50 Nev. 443Portrait

   

Murphy, Michael Augustus

1889-1995

31 Nev. 541, Portrait

   

Bigelow, Rensselaer R.

1890-1897

29 Nev. 597, Portrait

   

Bonnifield, McKaskia Stems

1895-1901

36 Nev. 647Portrait

   

Massey, William Alexander

1897-1902

37 Nev. 507, Portrait

 

Nevada Lawyer, March, 2005, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Fitzgerald, Adolphus Leigh

1901-1907

45 Nev. 453Portrait

   

Julien, Thomas Van Camp

1902-1903

     

Talbot, George Frederick

1903-1915

58 Nev. 483, Portrait

   

Norcross, Frank Herbert

1905-1917

69 Nev. 357Portrait

  Nevada Lawyer, January, 2005, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Sweeney, James G.

1907-1913

40 Nev. 562Portrait

   

McCarran, Patrick Anthony

1913-1919

70 Nev. 561Portrait

   

Coleman, Benjamin Wilson

1915-1939

58 Nev. 485Portrait

   

Sanders, John Adams

1917-1935

65 Nev. 789Portrait

   

Ducker, Edward Augustus

1919-1946

63 Nev. 477Portrait

  61 Nev. 491 (Birthday tribute)

Taber, Errol James Livingston

1935-1947

63 Nev. 497Portrait

   

Orr, William Edwin

1939-1945

     

Horsey, Charles Lee

1945-1951

73 Nev. 355Portrait

   

Eather, Edgar

1946-1958

85 Nev. 725Portrait

  74 Nev. 391 (Retirement)

Badt, Milton Benjamin

1947-1966

82 Nev. 465Portrait

   

Merrill, Charles M.

1951-1959

117 Nev. 997Portrait

  75 Nev. 531 (Retirement)

McNamee, Frank

1958-1965

85 Nev. 729Portrait

74 Nev. 391 (Investiture)

 

Pike, Miles Nelson

1959-1961

85 Nev. 735Portrait

75 Nev. 531 (Investiture)

 

Thompson, Gordon Rufus

1961-1977

117 Nev. 993Portrait

77 Nev. 505 (Investiture)

 

Zenoff, David

1965-1977

123 Nev. 661, Portrait

   

Collins, Jon R.

1966-1971

105 Nev. 935Portrait

82 Nev. 469 (Investiture)

86 Nev. 947 (Retirement)

Batjer, Cameron McVicar

1967-1981

127 Nev. 987, Portrait

83 Nev. 537 (Investiture)

 

Mowbray, John Code

1967-1993

117 Nev. 1003Portrait

83 Nev. 537 (Investiture)

 

Gunderson, Elmer (Al) Millard

1971-1989

126 Nev. 619, Portrait

   

Manoukian, Noel Edwin

1977-1985

135 Nev. 531, Portrait

93 Nev. 691 (Investiture)

 

Springer, Charles E.

1981-1997

135 Nev. 525, Portrait

109 Nev. 1247 (Investiture)

 

Steffen, Thomas L.

1982-1997

136 Nev. 767, Portrait

98 Nev. 617 (Investiture)

 

Young, C. Clifton (Cliff)

1985-2003

132 Nev. 833, Portrait  

John H. Mowbray, C. Clifton Young: A Distinguished Nevadan For All Reasons, For All Seasons, 24 Nev. Law. 38, (May, 2016).

Rose, Robert E.

1989-2007

 

105 Nev. 917 (Investiture)

Nevada Lawyer, December, 2006, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Shearing, Miriam C.

1993-1999

 

109 Nev. 1247 (Investiture)

Nevada Lawyer, March, 1997, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Nevada Lawyer, August, 2004, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Maupin, William (Bill)

1997-2009

 

113 Nev. 1463 (Investiture); 119 Nev. 673 (Investiture)

Nevada Lawyer, December, 2008, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Agosti, Deborah A.

1999-2005

 

115 Nev. 449 (Investiture)

 

Becker, Nancy A.

1999-2006

 

115 Nev. 449 (Investiture)

Nevada Lawyer, December, 2006, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Leavitt, Myron E.

2001-2004

122 Nev. 1467Portrait

115 Nev. 449 (Investiture)

Nevada Lawyer, February, 2004, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Nevada Lawyer, March, 2004, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Gibbons, Mark

2003-2021

 

119 Nev. 673 (Investiture); 125 Nev. 873 (Investiture)

Nevada Lawyer Staff, Nevada Supreme Court's Current Longest-Serving Justice Steps Down, 28 Nev. Law. 25, (December, 2020).

Douglas, Michael

2004-2019

 

120 Nev. 1075 (Investiture); 121 Nev. 951 (Investiture); 123 Nev. 667 (Investiture)

Nevada Lawyer, February, 2004, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Nevada Lawyer, May, 2004, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Nevada Lawyer Staff, Bidding a Fond Farewell to Two Supreme Court Justices, 26 Nev. Law. 24, (November, 2018).

Leesa Goodwin & Marckia Hayes, A Tribute to Chief Justice Michael L. Douglas, 27 Nev. Law. 32, (January, 2019)

Hardesty, James

2005-2023

 

121 Nev. 951 (Investiture)

Nevada Lawyer, January, 2005, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Therese Shanks, The Legacy of Justice James Hardesty, 30 Nev. Law. 20, (December, 2022).

Parraguirre, Ron

2005-

 

121 Nev. 951 (Investiture)

Nevada Lawyer, January, 2005, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Bill Gang, Change in Leadership: Parraguirre Becomes Chief Justice of Nevada Supreme Court, 18 Nev. Law. 24, (January, 2010).

Cherry, Michael

2007-2019

 

123 Nev. 667 (Investiture)

Nevada Lawyer Staff, Bidding a Fond Farewell to Two Supreme Court Justices, 26 Nev. Law. 24, (November, 2018).

James Dunn & Patrick Caddick, A Tribute to Associate Chief Justice Michael A. Cherry, 27 Nev. Law. 32, (January, 2019).

Saitta, Nancy

2007-2016

 

123 Nev. 667 (Investiture)

 

Pickering, Mary Kristina

2009-

 

125 Nev. 873 (Investiture)

J. Robert J. Johnson, Meet Your New Justice: Kristina Pickering, 17 Nev. Law. 6, (January, 2009).

Stiglich, Lidia S.

2016-   133 Nev. 939 (Investiture)

Nevada Lawyer Staff, Meet Your New Justice: Lidia S. Stiglich, 25 Nev. Law. 26, (March 2017).

Cadish, Elissa F.

2019-   135 Nev. 537 (Investiture)

Patricia D. Cafferata & Melinda Catren, The Supreme Court of Nevada's Newest Justices, 27 Nev. Law. 8, (March 2019).

Silver, Abbi

2019-2022   135 Nev. 537 (Investiture) Patricia D. Cafferata & Melinda Catren, The Supreme Court of Nevada's Newest Justices, 27 Nev. Law. 8, (March 2019).

Herndon, Douglas W.

2021-   137 Nev. 843 (Investiture)

Robert Horne, Trial Advocacy Course Changed Justice Herndon's Career Path, 29 Nev. Law. 16, (June, 2021).

Bell, Linda M.

2022-    

Mary Bacon & Ryan Gormley, Meet Justice Linda Bell: Giving Back by Focusing on Mentorships, 31 Nev. Law. 28, (March, 2023).

Lee, Patricia

2022-      

Nevada Court of Appeals

Judge Dates of Service Memorial Investiture Other
Gibbons, Michael 2015-   131 Nev. 1073 (Investiture)  
Tao, Jerome 2015-2022   131 Nev. 1073 (Investiture)  
Silver, Abbi 2015-2019   131 Nev. 1073 (Investiture)  
Bulla, Bonnie A. 2019-   135 Nev. 573 (Investiture)

Robert Horne, Bulla's Background Perfect Fit for Court of Appeals, vol. Nev. Law. 18, (June, 2021).

Westbrook, Deborah 2022-      

U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada

Judge

Dates of Service

Memorial

Other

Baldwin, Alexander White

1865-1869

   

Boulware, Richard Franklin II

2014-

   

Claiborne, Harry E.

1978-1986

   

Dawson, Kent J.

2000-

   

Dorsey, Jennifer Anna

2013-

   

Du, Miranda Mai

2012-

 

Nevada Lawyer Staff, Meet Your New Judges: Navarro and Du, Two Female "Firsts," 20 Nev. Law. 18, (October, 2012).

Jennifer Smith-Pulsipher, Du, Trutanich Assume New Roles in District of Nevada, 28 Nev. Law. 30, (May, 2020).

Farrington, Edward Silsby

1907-1929

51 Nev. 473Portrait

 

Foley, Roger D.

1962-1996

975 F. Supp. lxi

615 F. Supp. lxv-xcv (Courthouse Dedication)

Nevada Lawyer, January, 2003, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Foley, Roger Thomas

1945-1974

384 F. Supp. 1

615 F. Supp. lxv-xcv (Courthouse Dedication)

Nevada Lawyer, January, 2003, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

George, Lloyd D.

1984-

   

Gordon, Andrew Patrick

2013-

   

Hagen, David Warner

1993-2005

 

370 F. Supp. 2d xxxix (Portrait)

Nevada Lawyer, July, 2005, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Hawley, Thomas Porter

1890-1906

   

Hicks, Larry R.

2001-

   

Hillyer, Edgar Winters

1869-1882

   

Hunt, Roger L.

2000-

   

Jones, Robert Clive

2003-

   

Mahan, James C.

2002-

   

McKibben, Howard D.

1984-

 

Nevada Lawyer, July, 2005, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Nevada Lawyer, July, 1998, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

640 F. Supp. 2d xli (Portrait)

Navarro, Gloria Maria

2010-

 

Nevada Lawyer Staff, Meet Your New Judges: Navarro and Du, Two Female "Firsts," 20 Nev. Law. 18, (October, 2012).

Norcross, Frank Herbert

1928-1952

   

Pro, Philip Martin

1987-

   

Rawlinson, Johnnie B.

1998-2000

 

Nevada Lawyer, February, 2004, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Reed, Edward Cornelius Jr.

1979-2013

   

Ross, John Rolly

1954-1963

221 F. Supp. 5

 

Sabin, George Myron

1882-1890

 

Patricia Cafferata, George M. Sabin: Nevada's Third Federal District Court Judge, 30 Nev. Law. 31, (December, 2022).

Sandoval, Brian Edward

2005-2009

 

Nevada Lawyer, May, 2006, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

Silva, Cristina D.

2022-  

Mary Bacon & Ryan Gormley, Meet Cristina Silva: Federal Judge Wants to Increase Pipeline of Hispanic Attorneys in Nevada, 30 Nev. Law. 31, (September, 2022).

Thompson, Bruce

1963-1992

819 F. Supp. lxi

461 F. Supp. 1 (Retirement)

Traum, Anne

2022-    

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Judge

Dates of Service

Memorial

Other

Brunetti, Melvin

1985-2009

   

Bybee, Jay S.

2003-

   

Hug, Proctor Ralph, Jr.

1977-

   

Merrill, Charles Merton

1959-1996

   

Orr, William E.

1945-1965

351 F.2d 1

 

Rawlinson, Johnnie B.

2000-

  Nevada Lawyer, February, 2004, State Bar of Nevada, reprinted with permission.

VanDyke, Lawrence

2020-