Erin Gettel '15

Tell me about your decision to attend the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law.

I was born and raised in Michigan, where I completed my undergraduate degree and first year of law school at Michigan State. During my 1L summer, I came to Las Vegas for an internship at the Clark County Special Public Defender’s Office (SPD).

My plan was to return to Michigan in the fall. But, after meeting such amazing mentors at the SPD office, I quickly decided to transfer to Boyd and stay in Las Vegas. Although Michigan State will always have a special place in my heart, UNLV Law provided internship and career opportunities that I would not have had in Michigan. While at Boyd, I took Judge Dorsey’s judicial writing class and she ended up hiring me as her law clerk. I also took a class with Federal Public Defender Rene Valladares, who hired me as a trial attorney after my clerkship. Boyd offers a unique opportunity to take classes with local judges, practitioners, and employers.

What drew you to the Federal Public Defender’s Office and what do you like most about your work there?

After my summer at the SPD office, I knew that I wanted to be a public defender. During my 2L and 3L years, I clerked for a Criminal Justice Act panel attorney and became interested in federal defense. During my clerkship with Judge Dorsey, the federal public defenders stood out, and I knew this would be the best place for me. 

Fighting for the underdog is challenging and rewarding and excellence in indigent defense is vitally important. I also enjoy working in an environment where everyone shares and is passionate about a common mission. My coworkers are some of my closest friends. And I get to learn from the attorneys I admired in the courtroom as a law clerk. Plus, I am a legal-writing nerd, so I enjoy that federal practice requires a great deal of writing.

What’s something important that you are working on outside of work?

I currently co-chair the Nevada State Bar’s Trial Academy, which is a hands-on trial training presented by the Young Lawyer’s Section, in conjunction with the Bar’s Annual Meeting. This year the meeting is in Vail, Colorado, from June 27th–29th. I got so much out of Trial Academy when I attended in 2016, so I am looking forward to being a part of providing another great program for this year’s meeting.