NE vADA LAW YER EDITORIAL BOARD Mark A. Hinueber, Chair Gregory R. Shannon Patricia D. Cafferata, Chair-Elect Stephen F. Smith Message from Michael T. Saunders, Vice-Chair Beau Sterling Lisa Wong Lackland, Kristen E. Simmons Immediate Past Chair Scott G. Wasserman Erin Barnett Richard D. Williamson Hon. Robert J. Johnston John Zimmerman Scott McKenna the President Connie Akridge, Esq., State Bar of Nevada President BOARD OF GOvERNORS President: Constance Akridge, Las Vegas President-Elect: CELEBRATE: MAKE Frank Flaherty, Carson City vice President: Alan Lefebvre, Las Vegas PRO BONO PART Immediate Past President: Cam Ferenbach, Las Vegas OF THE FABRIC James Bradshaw, Reno Richard Scotti, Las Vegas Elizabeth Brickfield, Las Vegas Mason Simons, Elko Laurence Digesti, Reno Hon. David Wall (Ret.), OF YOUR LIFE Eric Dobberstein, Las Vegas Las Vegas Elana Graham, Las Vegas Ex-Officio “While we should all be proud of our efforts over the past year, the Vernon (Gene) Leverty, Reno Dean John Valery White, Paul Matteoni, Reno UNLV Boyd School of Law need for pro bono services continues to increase, along with Richard Pocker, Las Vegas Richard Trachok, Chair Nevada’s high unemployment rate and difficult economic climate. ” Bryan Scott, Las Vegas Board of Bar Examiners For the third consecutive year, the ABA Standing Committee STATE BAR STAFF Executive Director: Kimberly K. Farmer on Pro Bono and Public Service is leading a nationwide pro bono Bar Counsel: David A. Clark celebration. This year the Celebration occurs October 23 through 29. Director of Finance & Information According to the ABA, “The Celebration is a coordinated Systems: Marc Mersol national effort to meet the ever-growing needs of this country’s Director of Continuing Legal Education: Emily Akerberg most vulnerable citizens by encouraging and supporting local Director of Admissions: Laura Gould efforts to expand the delivery of pro bono legal services, and by showcasing the great difference that pro bono lawyers make to the NEvADA LAWYER STAFF nation, its system of justice, its communities and most of all, to the Publications Manager: clients they serve.” Jennifer Smith ([email protected]) Nevada Lawyer Coordinator: Plan to Join in Celebration Events Melinda Catren ([email protected]) Publications Specialist: There are numerous opportunities to join in the Celebration Christina Alberts ([email protected]) by participating in one or more of the many events planned across the state during this week. For a complete listing of events, please GRAPHIC DESIGN check out Access to Justice Commission Director Kristina Marzec’s Georgina Corbalan article in this issue on page 36 and take a look at the Access to Justice Commission website at www.nvbar.org. ADvERTISING INDEX ABA RETIREMENT FUNDS ...... 50 HUTCHISON & STEFFEN ...... 21 Thanks for Your Pro Bono Support. AMERICAN ARBITRATION JAMS...... 15 ASSOCIATION ...... 7 JULIE A. MERSCH ...... 35 As we join communities across the United States to take part in ARMSTRONG TEASDALE...... 28 LAWPAY ...... 34 the National Pro Bono Celebration, I want to take this opportunity BANK OF NEVADA ...... 47 LAWYERS CONCERNED to sincerely thank all SBN members who, during the past year, BAUMAN LOEWE WITT & MAXWELL ... 23 FOR LAWYERS ...... 5 helped to ensure quality legal representation for our most CLARK COUNTY BAR LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL BUREAU ....BC ASSOCIATION ...... 33 LISA LOCATI ...... 24 vulnerable citizens by taking pro bono cases and making donations COGBURN LAW OFFICE ...... 31 MAINOR EGLET ...... 52 to pro bono service providers. My thanks are also extended to CORE VAULT ...... 51 MACDONALD CARANO WILSON ..... 16 attorneys whose IOLTA accounts generated interest last year that DANIELS-HEAD INSURANCE ...... 39 NEEMAN & MILLS ...... 41 EQUITY GROUP ...... 25 NOTEWORLD SERVICING CENTER ....20 allowed the Nevada Law Foundation to grant $1.5M to pro bono FARR WEST ENGINEERING...... 27 PREMIER TRUST ...... 12 service providers across the state, and an additional $100k to FASTCASE ...... IBC TOP OF THE WORLD RESTAURANT .....6 Law Related Education (LRE) programs and to Court Appointed FENNEMORE CRAIG ...... 43 TOMPKINS & PETERS ...... 25 FORENSIC FINANCIAL STRATEGIES ....10 TRANSITIONING INTO PRACTICE ...... IFC Special Advocate (CASA). Thanks also to the attorneys on the SBN’s FORENSIS GROUP ...... 43 VALLEY BANK OF NEVADA ...... 19 Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) panel, whose GAMING LAW SECTION ...... 30 VERITI CONSULTING ...... 32 participation in the program allowed the SBN to make grants to HOLLAND & HART ...... 26 pro bono service providers amounting to $408,547 in 2010. 4 Nevada Lawyer October 2011 TAKE A CASE TO CELEBRATE AND with meals, needed support, assistance with grocery BECOME A PRO BONO REGULAR! shopping or child care, or whatever the situation While we should all be proud of our efforts over might warrant. the past year, the need for pro bono services continues The program began in Louisiana in 2002 with to increase, along with Nevada’s high unemployment a few attorneys and legal professionals forming rate and difficult economic climate. The group of the initial assistance network. The network is now attorneys who regularly take pro bono cases is supported by the Louisiana State Bar Association and relatively small. It would be great to expand the pool is made up of more than 5,000 legal professionals, of attorneys who take at least one pro bono case each all within e-mail reach. SOLACE operates on the year. It would even be better to expand the pool of law principle that “There’s Nothing Too Big, There’s firms and attorneys who regularly take pro bono cases Nothing Too Small.” as part of their practice of law. Former SBN President and Eighth Judicial I encourage SBN members to weave support for District Court Judge Nancy L. Allf (Department 27) the pro bono effort into your law firm and into your has graciously agreed to lead the SOLACE program everyday life. Make sure your firm has: on behalf of the SBN in association with the Member Benefits and Services Committee. 1. A written pro bono policy that provides associates credit for performing work on pro bono cases; and Members are invited to contact Connie Akridge regarding the state bar at (702) 382-2200 ext. 452, or via e-mail at 2. A pro bono coordinator, who acts as the contact [email protected]. to pro bono service providers who regularly send cases to the firm. Thanks for making pro bono part of your life so ANNUAL MEETING FACTOID that those less fortunate can have a better life. When it opened in 1888, del Coronado was the largest resort hotel in the world and the first to use electrical lighting. A NEW SBN BENEFIT: The following presidents have stayed at the hotel: , William McKinley, , Woodrow THE SOLACE PROGRAM Wilson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, The SBN Board of Governors has approved John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, the SOLACE Program. SOLACE is an acronym for Gerald R. Ford, , , George H. W. “Support for Lawyers/Legal Personnel, All Concern Bush, , George W. Bush and Barack Obama. See Encouraged.” The sole purpose of the program is to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_del_Coronado. enable the legal community to reach out in a small, Register now for the 2012 Annual Meeting at the but meaningful and compassionate way to those Hotel Del Coronado, Coronado, Island, judges, lawyers, court personnel, paralegals, legal on June 28-30, 2012. secretaries and their families who experience a death or some catastrophic illness, sickness or injury. It is the brainchild of New Orleans attorney Mark Surprenant and U.S. District If you want to stop drinking... Court Judge Jay Zainey. It originated when Mark Surprenant’s wife was you will FIND A WAY. diagnosed with a brain aneurysm and Judge Zainey asked if there was If not...you will anything he could do to help. Mark didn’t need anything, but thought about FIND AN EXCUSE. those in a similar situation and where they might turn for help. The program’s concept is Coe Swobe simple. Members notify the program LCL Coordinator administration when they learn of some tragedy or dire circumstance occurring Toll Free (866) 828-0022 to someone in the legal community. Working with that member and close or friends of the family, a determination is made as to what would be the most (775) 322-2154 appropriate expression of support and concern. Those expressions may Cell (775) 848-1154 range from simply sending the family a card signed by recognized local and All Communications Confidential. state leaders to providing the family October 2011 Nevada Lawyer 5