Boyd Law Day in Carson City: Students Experience Lawmaking

Written By Paul Szydelko 

In March 2025, Boyd Law students had the unique opportunity to witness Nevada's legislative process up close at the Legislative Building in Carson City during “Boyd Law Day 2025.” 

Sitting on the Senate floor and gallery as the Nevada Legislature proclaimed Boyd Law Day recognizing the state’s only law school at the 83rd Legislative Session was one of the highlights of the day. Another highlight was meeting lawmakers, some of them Boyd Law alum. Students were able to meet Senators Nicole Cannizzaro (’10), Lisa Krasner, and Melanie Scheible; and Assemblymembers Toby Yurek (’08), Venicia Considine (’08), Shea Backus, Selena Torres-Fossett, and Professor David Orentlicher, the Judge Jack and Lulu Lehman Professor of Law at Boyd Law (serving in the Assembly while on leave from Boyd Law). 

Students also learned directly from attorneys who work in the Legislative Building on a daily basis during the session - attorneys from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck hosted an informative luncheon for the students at their office, located just across the street from the Legislative Building. After lunch, the students were given a special tour of the Nevada Supreme Court by current law clerks, some of whom were Boyd Law alumni. And - the students spent 45 minutes in conversation with Justice Lidia S. Stiglich.  

Boyd Law Day concluded with a special reception at the Governor’s Mansion that included legislators, lobbyists, attorneys, alumni, admitted students - as well as prospective students.  “It was a wonderful evening where students had the chance to network and connect with professionals engaged in legislative and policy work in Nevada,” reported Dawn Nielsen, Associate Professor-in-Residence and Director of the Samuel S. Lionel Externship Program at Boyd Law, who attended Boyd Law Day. 

Thanks to the state’s relatively small size, Boyd Law graduates have greater access to the legislative process and the opportunity to make an immediate impact. Students who attended gained a deeper understanding of the many ways they can contribute to shaping policy and law in Nevada.  “In our very small legal community, we have Boyd Law alumni in every area in Nevada,” Nielsen said. “They serve in the legislature, in government, in public interest organizations, and on the bench. And they open doors for our students.”