Constitutional Law Expert Opines on Equal Treatment for Same-Sex Couples in Nevada

On December 16, 2012 in an article entitled "Right to 'vote with their feet' odious" published in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, UNLV Boyd Law Professor Thomas B. McAffee discussed the November 26, 2012 federal district court ruling in Sevcik v. Sandoval, slip copy, 2012 WL 5989662 (D. Nev. 2012) and an editorial published in the Review-Journal on December 4, 2012 about the ruling.

Sevcik v. Sandoval presented the question of whether "the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits the People of the State of Nevada from maintaining statutes that reserve the institution of civil marriage to one-man-one-woman relationships or from amending their state constitution to prohibit the State from recognizing marriages formed in other states as “marriages” under Nevada law if those marriages do not conform to Nevada's one-man-one-woman civil marriage institution." Sevcik, *1.

In an order granting summary judgment, District Judge Robert C. Jones ruled that "it does not." Sevcik, *1.

In "Right to 'vote with their feet' odious," Professor McAffee discusses the role of the federal Constitution and its primacy over the Nevada Constitution in matters of constitutional protection for fundamental rights. He also writes about the role of courts in enforcing equal protection of fundamental rights such as marriage. Professor McAffee is an expert on constitutional law, American legal history, and jurisprudence.

UNLV Law Blog: Boyd Bar Pass Results for July 2012

Posted today on the UNLV Law Blog:

Our overall pass rate, 76%, is the second highest July bar pass rate!  It exceeds the statewide overall pass rate of 69%.  We continue to exceed the statewide overall pass rates for both first timers and repeaters.

Overall Pass Rate:
The Nevada overall pass rate was 69% and includes both attorneys and students.  In comparison, in July 2011, the NV overall pass rate was 63%, while in February 2012, the Nevada overall pass rate was 63%.
The Boyd overall pass rate was 76% (94/124) and includes both first-timers and repeaters.  In comparison, in July 2011, Boyd's overall pass rate was 81% (87/108), while in February 2012, Boyd's overall pass rate was 67% (30/45).

First time Student Takers: 
The Nevada pass rate for first-time takers: 77%  In comparison, in July 2011, the Nevada pass rate for first-time student takers was 79%, while in February 2012 the Nevada pass rate for first-time student takers was 67%.
The Boyd pass rate for first-time takers was 79% (89/113).   In comparison, in July 2011, Boyd's pass rate for first-time takers was 87%, while in February 2012 Boyd's pass rate for first-time takers was 78%.

Repeat Takers: 
The Nevada pass rate for repeating student takers was 40%.  In comparison, in July 2011, the Nevada Pass rate for repeating student takers was 22% and in February 2012, the Nevada pass rate for repeating student takers was 34%.
The Boyd pass rate for repeating student takers was 45% (5/11).  In comparison, in July 2011, the Boyd pass rate for repeating student takers was 50% and in February 2012, Boyd's pass rate for repeating student takers was 50%.

Many thanks to Stacy Shiroma, Pramate Churchville, and DeShun Harris for helping me crunch these numbers.

Jennifer Carr, Director, Academic Success Program

(reposted with permission)

UNLV Law Blog: Boyd Bar Pass Results for February 2012

Posted today on the UNLV Law Blog:

At 67%, our overall pass rate is the highest ever in Boyd history for a February!  And, our first-time takers set a new Boyd School of Law record among our February exam takers:  78% passed! This bests our previous record for first-time takers for a February, which was set in February 2008 of 77%.

Overall Pass Rate:
NV overall pass rate (includes both attorneys and students):  56%.  In comparison, in February 2011, the NV overall pass rate was 63%.  In July 2011, the overall pass rate was 66%.
Boyd overall pass rate (includes both first-timers and repeaters):  67% (30/45)  In comparison, in February 2011, the Boyd overall pass rate was 61%.  In July 2011, Boyd's overall pass rate was 81%.

First-time Student Takers: 
NV pass rate for first-time takers: 67%.  In comparison, in February 2011, the NV pass rate for first-time student takers was 70%.  In July 2011, the NV pass rate for first-time takers was 79%.
Boyd pass rate for first-time takers:  78% (21/27)  In comparison, in February 2011, Boyd's pass rate for first-time takers was 57%.  In July 2011, Boyd's pass rate for first-time takers was 87%.

Repeat Takers: 
NV pass rate for repeating student takers: 34%. In comparison, in February 2011, the NV pass rate for repeating student takers was 59%.  In July 2011, the NV pass rate for repeating student takers was 26%.
Boyd pass rate for repeating student takers:  50% (8/16).  In comparison, in February 2011, Boyd's pass rate for repeating student takers was 63%.  In July 2011, Boyd's pass rate for repeating student takers was 50%.

Jennifer Carr, Director of the Academic Success Program

(reposted with permission)

State Bar Diversity Committee Scholarship Deadline Approaching

The deadline for the State Bar of Nevada's Diversity Committee 2012 scholarships is approaching. Applications for the two $5,000 Diversity Scholarships are due on April 5, 2012, in just under two weeks.  

These scholarships are given to two UNLV Boyd Law students "who embrace the Committee's mission to increase diversity within the membership and leadership of the State Bar of Nevada and the profession and to promote cultural competence." For more information, go to the Diversity Scholarships page on the state bar website.

Funding is provided by the Lawyer Referral and Information Service Committee.

Boyd Law Graded A+ on Employment Transparency

The March 2012 issue of the National Jurist ranked the UNLV Boyd School of Law A+ on employment transparency. Boyd was one of only six school that received an A+ out of 197 schools. Each school was graded on eighteen criteria.

July 2011 Bar Results

The results of the July 2011 Nevada Bar Examination are in. Congratulations to all of the new members of the State Bar of Nevada who were sworn in at the October 19, 2011 ceremony in Reno and the October 21, 2011 ceremony in Las Vegas and to everyone who passed the bar exam!

Here are some of statistics:

Overall Pass Rate*

*This includes first-time student takers, repeat student takers, and attorneys licensed in other jurisdictions.

Overall: 66%

Boyd Alum: 81% - a new record for the law school!

First-time Student Takers

Overall: 79%

Boyd Alum: 87% - a new record for the law school!

Repeat Student Takers

Overall: 26%

Boyd Alum: 50% 

Thanks to Jennifer Carr (Boyd '06), Director of the Academic Success Program at the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for making this information available.

July 2009 Nevada Bar Exam Update

Congratulations to everyone who passed the Nevada Bar Exam!

The bar results for the July 2009 Nevada Bar Exam were released yesterday by the State Bar of Nevada. Hat tip to the comment by lawzvegas (Boyd '06) asking for some statistics on the results. Here are some of the numbers:



All Takers*
*This includes first-time student takers, repeat student takers, and attorneys licensed in other jurisdictions.
Overall: 63%
Boyd Alum: 74%

First-time Student Takers
Overall: 74%
Boyd Alum: 86% - a new record for the law school!

Repeat Student Takers
Overall: 28%
Boyd Alum: 33% (53% for participants in the Academic Success Program)


Thanks to Jennifer Carr (Boyd '06), Director of the Academic Success Program at the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for making this information available.


Read more about the success of Boyd alum on the July 2009 Nevada Bar Exam here:
- UNLV Office of Public Affairs, UNLV Boyd Law School Graduates Achieve Highest Pass Rate on Nevada Bar Exam in School History, Oct. 28, 2009
- The Rebel Yell, Boyd Law Scores High, Oct. 29, 2009
- Nicole Lucht, Boyd grads doing better than ever on bar exam, Las Vegas Sun, Nov. 13, 2009
- Joseph W. Law, Boyd Raises the Bar, at Wild Wild Law Blog, Oct. 26, 2009

Rebel Law

UNLV law students recently created a great new web resource for incoming law students: Rebel Law. This is great example of the positive atmosphere and strong community spirit at the William S. Boyd School of Law. Congratulations to the creators of the Rebel Law web site!

July 2009 Nevada Bar Exam

The July 2009 Nevada Bar Exam begins today. The overall pass rate is generally between 62-65%. Take heart Boyd grads. The passage rate for Boyd alum taking the bar exam at this time last year was 83%. Good luck to all!

Nevada Business Law

Despite Nevada's growing popularity as a location for the incorporation of new businesses, Nevada business law resources are few and far between. There are some basic public resources: the Nevada Revised Statutes are available online and Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller has developed a website to answer the question "Why Nevada?" The Nevada Law Journal, which is run by students of the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, publishes Nevada Supreme Court Summaries, Nevada Supreme Court Commentaries, Nevada Legislative Summaries, and Nevada Legislative Commentaries. A local law firm, Lionel Sawyer & Collins, also publishes a guide entitled "Doing Business In Nevada: A Practical Guide." However, although Nevada has dedicated business courts and judges, case law is limited because lower courts in Nevada do not publish opinions and, in fact, often do not issue opinions. On this blog, I will post information about Nevada business law and, hopefully, create a space where practitioners and others will contribute their knowledge of business law in Nevada and engage in a useful discourse.