A Celebration of Beginnings and Fostering Our Potential

As I write my first message to you as dean of the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV, I am thinking about the excitement of new beginnings. There is untold potential when we embark on new endeavors. Since officially joining the law school on July 1, everything has been novel and inspiring. A new title, a new position, a new office, and many new faces to meet. In the coming years, I look forward to sustaining the law school’s many successes, but also to fostering the potential of all of us.

Across Boyd Law, there are more new beginnings, many of which are featured in this year’s magazine. Among the many compelling stories we’re featuring this year, here are a few highlights:

• Our Community Advocacy Office — an outgrowth of our Thomas & Mack Legal Clinic focused on immigration law — officially opened this past year with a great ceremony featuring Governor Steve Sisolak.
• Although we were sad to say goodbye to Associate Dean Christine Smith, who was one of our founding administrators, we were thrilled to see her continuing her passion to help the community at the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada as the Director of Community Initiatives and Outreach.
• Boyd Law’s Indian Nation Gaming and Governance program officially kicked off with some terrific programming, and Jennifer Carleton and John Tahsuda III joined us as INGG Distinguished Fellows.
• Many of our alumni have also had fresh starts this past year. We saw the start of Sandra Douglass Morgan’s leadership as president of the Las Vegas Raiders and Jason Frierson’s appointment as the first black U.S. Attorney for the State of Nevada. We are so proud of Sandra and Jason, as well as the many alumni and friends that make #BoydNation strong.

There are so many more stories that follow. I hope you have time to read and savor them all.

Personally, I have enjoyed meeting so many of you since I started in this role. I cannot wait to meet more of you this coming year and to forge new connections as we embark on raising the level of excellence for which Boyd Law stands—together.

Leah Grinvald
Dean