This week, the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law was ranked 58th out of 192 accredited law schools in US News & World Report's 2020 annual list of best graduate and professional schools. This is our highest ranking ever, and the law school has moved 25 points in the last four years. We are particularly delighted that our Lawyering Process program was again ranked first in the nation and our Saltman Center for Dispute Resolution jumped five spots rising to fifth nationally. I invite you to read our press release here. While we are always excited to see our programs nationally recognized, our

The Melanie Kushnir Access to Justice Fellowship was created by the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada in honor of Melanie Kushnir, who dedicated her life to inspiring pro bono attorneys, law students, bar leaders, the judiciary, and the community, to donate their time, knowledge, and experience to those in need. The Kushnir Fellowship recognizes a law student who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to public interest law, and who will carry on Melanie’s legacy of service. The Fellow receives a $10,000 stipend for their summer at Legal Aid Center, and works as part of the Pro Bono Project

I am delighted to share a couple of alumni updates from around Boyd Nation:

• Governor Steve Sisolak has appointed Deonne Contine (J.D. '05) to serve as director of the Department of Administration. Deonne has over 12 years’ experience in public service, most recently as the executive director of the Nevada Department of Taxation. Prior to that she was a deputy in the Nevada Attorney General’s office where she served as legal counsel to, among others, the Public Employee’s Benefits program, boards and commissions related to real estate regulation, the Department of Business and Industry, and

Across the nation, law schools and universities are considering the critical issues surrounding the First Amendment and free speech in the context of higher education. At the UNLV Boyd School of Law, we are fortunate to have Mark Yudof, a distinguished leader in the field and in American higher education, teaching our students and hosting an annual conference at Boyd on The First Amendment on Campus. On Monday, February 25, beginning at 9:00am, we will gather in the Thomas & Mack Moot Courtroom for a discussion of these timely and critical issues. Mark Yudof brings unparalleled expertise to

Monday, February 11 was UNLV Boyd Law Day at the Nevada Legislature! It was wonderful to see our students externing in Carson City and Reno (who were recognized on the floor of the Assembly), alumni, faculty, and friends. My sincere thanks to Governor Steve Sisolak, Governor Brian Sandoval, Lt. Governor Kate Marshall, Speaker Jason Frierson, Attorney General Aaron Ford, and UNLV President Marta Meana for helping us recognize Boyd’s success and impact on our state.
 

Best,

Dan
Dean & Richard J. Morgan Professor of Law
daniel.hamilton@unlv.edu
facebook.com/DeanDanHamilton

The Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution at UNLV Boyd is consistently ranked among the top 10 in the field. Thanks to the leadership of Saltman Professor of Law Jean Sternlight and Associate Director, Professor Lydia Nussbaum, the Saltman Center brings nationally-recognized speakers and terrific programs to the law school. This semester is no exception. In the coming weeks we are hosting two talks in the Thomas & Mack Moot Courtroom:

• Professor Ronald Wright will present "Groupthink and Plea Bargaining: Examining Judges' Role in the Negotiations" on February 4 at 6 p.m. Professor Wright

Happy New Year, Boyd Nation!

We start off our new semester with one of our terrific named lectures. This year on Feb. 12 at 5:30 p.m. we are glad to host the annual Judge Philip Pro Lecture in Legal History. This lecture honors a great friend, and one of the founders of the law school, and brings to Boyd the nation's leading legal historians. Past speakers have included Eric Foner, Christine Desan, Ajay Mehrotra, and Tomiko Brown-Nagin. This year we are delighted to bring Mary L. Dudziak, Emory University School of Law Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law. Professor Dudziak will present a talk

What a terrific night last Saturday, celebrating Boyd's 20th Anniversary! It was a thrill to see so many supporters, friends, alumni, students, faculty and staff come together to celebrate this remarkable law school. Click here to read this article in the Las Vegas Sun for a glimpse into this unforgettable evening.

Thank you for 20 terrific years!

Best,

Dan
Dean & Richard J. Morgan Professor of Law
daniel.hamilton@unlv.edu
facebook.com/DeanDanHamilton

The Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution at UNLV Boyd is nationally and internationally recognized for its work on conflict resolution and Alternate Dispute Resolution. The Center is directed by Saltman Professor of Law, Jean Sternlight, one of the leading scholars in the field of law and psychology. The Associate Director is Professor Lydia Nussbaum, who directs the Mediation Clinic at Boyd and who has placed several articles on dispute resolution in top law reviews. The Center hosts a variety of conferences, lectures, workshops, competitions, clinics, and courses. The Fall newsletter for

As I reviewed the list of names on the Nevada ballot this past week, I counted 16 members of Boyd Nation running in races at the executive, judicial, legislative, and local level across the Silver State. One of my favorite statistics is that one in four active members of the Nevada Bar are graduates of UNLV Law, and this recent midterm further highlights the impact the law school continues to have in our state. From the District Attorney in Washoe County, to the Speaker of the Nevada Assembly, to the District Court bench, our graduates are leaders in all branches of government across Nevada. I