Dionne Stanfill (‘26)
In rural Nevada, fewer people and less traffic does not mean less work
Written By Shan Bates
Dionne Stanfilll did not have to look far from home for her internship, much less worry about how she would take to rural Nevada. She grew up in Spring Creek, only about 14 miles from Elko and the public defender’s office there.
Her summer job in the Elko County Public Defender’s office was no coincidence. “I know from experience that Elko needed this,” she says. “It sounded like they are in severe need for help, so I think it’s like ‘all hands-on deck’ anywhere that I can help.”
The internship fell between her first two years at Boyd Law, so Stanfill was open-minded about whatever she would end up being assigned to do. “Indigent defense, especially in rural counties, is where I think I can best help.”
“In rural communities, you’re going to be able to get more experience in a lot of types of areas than you would if you are in Reno and Las Vegas,” she says. “You need attorneys who can practice in every area. It’s not niche-specific. The hope is that I have a great experience and that I come back to the law school and share how awesome it was.”
Stanfill calls herself “a Nevada state-triot.” If you count that summer she worked in an Elko mining company’s warehouse, she’s technically a fifth-generation Nevada gold miner.
“I’ve always known since I was a little kid that I wanted to do public service for the state of Nevada. No matter what, that’s what I want to do.”
After returning from her summer in Elko, Dionne Stanfill received an invitation from President Biden at the White House for a historic signing of gun violence prevention in America.
She shares, “After the December 6 UNLV tragedy, I volunteered my time to the community events that followed for UNLV students. This led to meeting VP Kamala Harris last semester and now President Biden at our nation's capital. The UNLV Foundation and, of course, the Law School, sponsored my trip. I was so honored to represent the law school, UNLV, and the State of Nevada in DC to the President, Vice President, and our Nevada representatives.”