Chief Justice Mark Gibbons has announced the Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection submitted three individuals to Governor Steve Sisolak for his consideration to fill the empty seat in Dept. 8 of the Eighth Judicial District Court. The vacancy became available following the retirement of the Honorable Douglas Smith.
The nominees, in alphabetical order:
- Trevor Lee Atkin, 57, Las Vegas, Atkin Winner & Sherrod
- Terrance Allen Coffing, 54, Las Vegas, Marquis & Aurbach
- Joseph Vadala, 54, Las Vegas, Nevada Attorney General’s Office
In selecting the finalists, the Commission considered the applicants’ interviews along with information in comprehensive applications about education, law practice, business involvement, community involvement, and professional and personal conduct. The Commission also considered letters of reference and public statements during the interview process, which was open to the public and streamed on the Supreme Court website.
Six Nevada attorneys with 10 years of legal experience and two years of Nevada residency applied for the position and took part in public interviews in Las Vegas. The Governor’s appointee must run in the 2020 General Election and win to keep the seat.
Seven permanent members make up the Commission – the Supreme Court Chief Justice, three non-attorneys appointed by the Governor, and three attorneys appointed by the State Bar of Nevada. For this selection, there was a vacancy on the Commission.
For District Court vacancies, the Commission appoints two temporary members from the judicial district where the vacancy occurs – a non-attorney by the Governor and an attorney by the State Bar – bringing the Commission membership for this selection to eight.
You can find a list of permanent Commission members at https://nvcourts.link/Commission.