Ozzie Fumo

What's the most important thing you are working on right now?

Right now I’m running for a seat on our Nevada Supreme Court, which I feel is incredibly important, but you could argue that’s subjective. But in all seriousness, I see this as a continuation of my legal career which has focused on fairness in our courts and the right to equal justice under the law. One of the things we discuss in my classes at the law school is the way you structure your argument in court, and I think this applies to your legal career as well. If you have a goal in the profession, and again for me that is a commitment to fairness in our courts, how are you structuring your career to achieve that goal? This can take any number of paths and doesn’t have to involve running for office, but I believe if you can keep your goal in mind, whatever that goal may be, it can guide you not only through your time at the law school, but throughout your entire legal career. Which is to say, what you’re doing right now may be the most important thing you’re working on as well.

 
What is the most significant issue facing your field and how should it be addressed?

I believe the most significant issue facing the legal community, our community as a whole, and even our country in some ways, is equal access to justice and a commitment to fairness under the law. One example I often cite is one of the reasons I ran for office in the first place. I was trying a case a few years ago and we were in the middle of picking a jury. As we went through and questioned prospective jurors for the case, nearly every one of our potential jurors was white whereas my client was Black. At which point, my client leans into me and asks, “Where’s the jury of my peers?” and he was absolutely right. This was one of the moments where you realize, in very stark terms, that things need to change. It’s also why my first bill in our State Legislature was designed specifically to expand and diversify our jury pools and I’m very proud to say that legislation was signed into law and has had an immediate impact locally. But my point is, if you can identify issues that you think must be addressed in your field, find a way to tackle it. It may seem as if the problem is too big to tackle on your own, but you'd be surprised about how your actions can ripple out. Be it yourself, or organizing with others, the ability to affect change is really in your hands. 

What is it about being a law school professor that inspires or motivates you?

You often hear teachers talk about how much they learn from their students, and I could not agree more. In court, one of the things you’re constantly trying to do is think different, ask new questions, and really understand the whole of a matter. This is one reason I so look forward to teaching at the law school every semester. Because every new class brings new perspectives, new lived experiences, and new ways of looking at an issue. 

You may have decades of experience in the law and you may have tried and discussed an issue for years, something that goes all the way back to the founding of the country, for example. Then you have someone in your class whose lived experience and the way they approach that issue is so unique, it shifts your perspective as well. This issue may be a hundred, two hundred years old, and suddenly you’re seeing it in an entirely different light thanks to your students. It’s genuinely inspiring.