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Nevada Law Professors

Rule 49.1 of the Nevada Supreme Court Rules allows limited practice for clinical law faculty members employed by the William S. Boyd School of Law; Rule 72.3 allows admission for general law school faculty members of the William S. Boyd School of Law; and Rule 72.5 allows admission for law school faculty members of The National Judicial College.

Clinical Law Professors – Rule 49.1

Eligibility
Clinical law professors must:

  • Be admitted to practice law in any other jurisdiction.
  • Teach at the William S. Boyd School of Law in a clinical law program.

Practice
Law professors cannot perform legal services within Nevada except through the clinical law program at the William S. Boyd School of Law. The attorney cannot accept any compensation for the services except the salary as may be paid to him or her by the law school. All pleadings signed by an attorney certified under the law school clinical professor rules must bear the name and address of the William S. Boyd School of Law clinical law program.

Attorneys may be disciplined or suspended. Pending final disposition of any disciplinary proceeding, the court or the Nevada Bar may suspend any right to practice without notice or hearing. Attorneys must also comply with the same CLE requirements as active members of the Nevada Bar.

Application and Certification

The law professor is required to file an application with the admissions director of the Nevada State Bar. The application includes:

  • Certificates of good standing indicating the attorney has been admitted to practice law in another jurisdiction and is a member in good
    standing in such jurisdictions.
  • The law professor has taken and passed either the MPRE with a scaled score of 85 or greater or an equivalent course in ethics taken during his or her law school attendance.
  • Law school Dean Certificate indicating the attorney will be acting in connection with the supervision of a clinical law program, and the Dean believes the attorney possesses the requisite character and fitness to practice law in Nevada.
  • A nonrefundable fee.

Law professors must annually renew their certificates in accordance with Rule 49.12.

Termination
The certification to practice terminates when the attorney ceases to be employed by the William S. Boyd School of Law. The law school Dean must immediately file a statement to that effect with the admissions directors of the Nevada Bar.

General Law School Faculty Members – Rule 72.3

Eligibility
Faculty members must:

  • Have been admitted to practice law in another state, federal territory, or the District of Columbia for at least five years.
  • Have taken and passed the MPRE with a scaled score of at least 85 or an equivalent course in ethics taken during his or her law school attendance.
  • Be a law school dean, associate dean, or regular and full-time member of the general faculty of the William S. Boyd School of Law.
  • Meet the applicable character and fitness determinations.

Practice
Admitted faculty members have all the rights and obligations as all other active members of the Nevada State Bar, including the obligation to pay annual dues in accordance with S.C.R. 98(9). Faculty members are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts and disciplinary boards of Nevada with respect to the laws of Nevada governing the conduct of attorneys to the same extent as other members of the State Bar of Nevada.

Faculty members must limit their practice hours in accordance with the limits imposed by the William S. Boyd School of Law and cannot engage in compensated practice in Nevada for more than an average of eight hours per week during each calendar year. This limitation does not apply to pro bono representation or criminal defense representation undertaken pursuant to court order.

Application and Certification
An individual applying for faculty membership must file an application for admission with the admissions director as provided in S.C.R. 56(1) with a fee. The application includes:

  • A certificate of good standing indicating that the prospective faculty member has been admitted to practice law in another jurisdiction, and has been a member in good standing in such jurisdiction for at least five years.
  • A certificate executed by the President of the University of Nevada Las Vegas or the law school Dean stating that the applicant is a full-time dean, associate dean, or faculty member of the William S. Boyd School of Law;
  • A certification by the President or the law school Dean that he or she believes that the applicant possesses the requisite character and fitness to practice law in this state.

Reporting and Termination
The law school Dean must annually advise the executive director of the state bar regarding the faculty members who have been admitted to the bar under the rule and compliance with the reporting requirements under university rules and the applicable hour and wage limitation of the rule.

Faculty members who terminate their full-time faculty status also terminate their status with the State Bar of Nevada. Such attorneys must go through the normal admissions process in order to be admitted to the Nevada Bar.

Faculty Members of The National Judicial College – Rule 72.5

Eligibility
Faculty members must:

  • Have been admitted to practice law in another state, federal territory, or the District of Columbia for at least five years.
  • Have taken and passed the MPRE with a scaled score of at least 85 or an equivalent course in ethics taken during his or her law school attendance.
  • Be the president, dean, associate dean, or academic director of The National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, which includes the director of The National Center for the Courts and Media.
  • Meet the applicable character and fitness standards.

Practice
Attorneys are admitted as active members of the Nevada Bar.

Application and Certification
Attorneys are required to file the application with the admissions director as provided in S.C.R. 56(1). The application includes:

  • A certificate executed by the chair of the board of directors of The National Judicial College or The National Center for the Courts and Media stating that the applicant is the president, dean or academic director of The National Judicial College, or is the director of The National Center for the Courts and Media, and has been so engaged for at least 2 years.
  • A certificate stating that the applicant has been admitted to practice law in another jurisdiction and has been a member in good standing of the bar of such other jurisdiction for at least 5 years.
  • The fee required by S.C.R. 54(2).

Termination
Attorneys admitted to practice under this rule who cease to be employed by The National Judicial College or The National Center for the Courts and Media retain their active membership in the State Bar of Nevada and are not required to make a separate application for admission or take the bar exam.