William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV

10/27/2026

We had a fantastic time connecting with Great Basin College students and faculty, both in-person and online, for our Pre-Law Conference in Elko! We covered everything from our new hybrid program and the law school admissions process to what it’s really like practicing law in Elko.

Pictured with Dean Grinvald (L-R):
Hillary Wilson, General Counsel at Nevada Gold Mines Nevada Gold Mines
Tyler Ingram, Elko County District Attorney
Judge Mason Simons (Boyd Law Alumnus ‘03), Fourth Judicial District Court
Angie Portel, Ruby Mountain Law
Julie Cavanaugh Bill, Past President of the State Bar of Nevada
Ben Gaumond, President of the Elko County Bar Association
Tanya Yell, Program Manager for the Great Basin Children’s Advocacy Center

Thank you to our distinguished panelists and to everyone who joined us!

10/21/2026

We recently gathered legal scholars, advocates, and members of the judiciary at the Thomas & Mack Moot Courtroom for The Nevada Constitution: Individual Liberty & The Criminal Legal System symposium.

Highlights from the event included:
Opening Remarks by Dean Leah Chan Grinvald, Prof. Kristen Bell, and Prof. Meredith Esser.
Mack v. Williams Insights: A deep dive into state constitutional possibilities and pitfalls with experts from the ACLU, the Federal Public Defender’s Office, and the Institute for Justice.
Civil Asset Forfeiture & Excessive Punishment: Panels exploring key limits, protections, and federal vs. state constitutional dynamics.
Views from the Bench: A rare and insightful judicial panel featuring Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice Douglas Herndon alongside Justices Linda Marie Bell, Elissa F. Cadish, Kristina Pickering, and Lidia S. Stiglich, moderated by Prof. Maryam Ahranjani.

Thank you to all of our moderators, panelists, and attendees for engaging in these vital conversations surrounding individual liberties and Nevada state constitutional law.

10/14/2026

This past weekend wrapped up our annual Client Counseling Competition. A huge congratulations to first-year students Taylor Bertsch and Jansen Brock for taking home First Place! They showed exceptional professionalism and lawyering skills before an esteemed final-round panel:
Nevada Supreme Court Justice Patricia Lee
Eighth Judicial District Court Judge Tara Clark Newberry
Cristian Gonzalez Perez (ACLU)
Kate Groesbeck (Clark County District Attorney's Office)
Althea Dahneke (U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada)
Andrew Craner (Andrew Craner, Esq.)

Kudos to our Runners-Up, Alexa Burdalski and Paxton Perry, as well as our Semi-Finalists, Megan Cox & Alison Merritt and Benjamin Regenbaum & Abbie Millman!

A massive thank you to our 38 talented competitors, 37 student volunteers, and 28 judges who made this event a success. Special thanks to Professor Chapin and the Clark County Bar Association for their ongoing support!

09/14/2026

Congratulations to the Director of the Indian Nations Gaming & Governance Program, Professor Danielle Finn on being named to the 2026 Class of 10 Women Rising in Gaming! Read her full profile at https://cdcgaming.com/2026-10wr/danielle-finn/.

09/12/2026

Huge congratulations to Toby Yurek (’08), Managing Partner at GGRM Law Firm, on being named the William S. Boyd School of Law 2026 Alumnus of the Year!

From his dedication in the community to his outstanding leadership in the legal field, this recognition is well-deserved.

Read more about his journey from SWAT to the Statehouse: https://www.unlv.edu/news/article/swat-statehouse-thaddeus-toby-yurek

09/11/2026

Proud to share that the William S. Boyd School of Law has been named one of the top law schools for health law by preLaw Magazine!

This recognition highlights our commitment to preparing the next generation of leaders in health law, policy, and advocacy.

09/04/2026

Leading the way in legal education!

We are thrilled to celebrate Dean Leah Chan Grinvald and Professor Nancy Rapoport for making The National Law Review’s 2026 list of the Top 50 Legal Innovators in Academia.

Explore the full list: https://natlawreview.com/article/2026-top-50-legal-innovators-academia

08/19/2026

Big news for the William S. Boyd School of Law community!

This fall, we are thrilled to welcome five distinguished new faculty members to campus. Bringing a wealth of practice experience, scholarly expertise, and dedication to legal education, our new faculty will help guide and inspire the next generation of Boyd Law leaders.

Click the link below to read about their backgrounds and welcome them!
https://law.unlv.edu/news/new-faculty-2026

08/11/2026

Last week, we enjoyed a great night with the Washoe County Bar Association at the Greater Nevada Field! Wonderful catching up with our alumni and externship students in Reno!

08/10/2026

Check out the Association of American Law Schools's Member Spotlight on our Comparative Gaming Law course! https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19VXTVL4cg/

Location: Las Vegas, NevadaFounded: 1998Joined AALS: 2004Dean: Leah Chan Grinvald The William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is Nevada's only law school. Boyd School of Law is recognized for its top-tier legal education and deep commitment to community service. E...