Chief Judge Michael Gibbons

Nevada Court of Appeals

Telephone: (775) 684-1520
Email: michaelgibbons@nvcourts.nv.gov

Chief Judge Michael P. Gibbons was selected as a judge of the inaugural Nevada Court of Appeals by Governor Brian Sandoval in December 2014.  He served as the first Chief Judge for the court from 2015-2017 and was appointed Chief Judge twice more by the Nevada Supreme Court and continues to serve in that capacity. Chief Judge Gibbons had served as a District Judge for twenty years at the time of his appointment to the Court of Appeals.  He was elected to the Ninth Judicial District Court in Minden in 1994 and was reelected four consecutive times.  He presided over every type of district court case including criminal, civil, guardianship, probate and trusts, juvenile and family matters.  While serving as a district judge, the Nevada Supreme Court appointed Judge Gibbons to hear cases in districts throughout the state including ten appointments to Clark County.  Consequently, Judge Gibbons has presided over jury trials in four different judicial districts in Nevada including in the First, Fifth, Eighth and Ninth districts. Chief Judge Gibbons has a lengthy record of service to the bench and bar having served as President of the Nevada District Judges’ Association in 2004 and 2005; serving eight years on the Nevada Committee on Judicial Ethics and Election Practices; and six years on the board of trustees of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.  Since joining the Court of Appeals, he served on the Nevada Supreme Court’s Guardianship Commission helping to create the Bill of Rights for persons subject to a guardianship. Chief Judge Gibbons also sought to help the vulnerable as a judge through legislation and court programs.  He was a founding board member of the Nevada State CASA Association (Court Appointed Special Advocates for children) and a co-founder of the Douglas County SAFE Program (Special Advocates for Elders). Chief Judge Gibbons began his legal career in Nevada in 1980 as a law clerk for District Judge Howard McKibben.  He was named a Douglas County Deputy District Attorney in 1981 and later Chief Criminal Deputy.  He prosecuted many high profile criminal cases and became known as a champion for victim rights. Chief Judge Gibbons earned his bachelor’s degree at UCLA and his law degree from the University of Idaho College of Law.   Judge Gibbons was the only member of his law school class to be selected both as an editor of the Law Review and for the Moot Court team to compete in the northwest states’ regional competition. Chief Judge Gibbons was a certified youth soccer coach for ten years.  He coached in the Youth Friendship Games in Holland in 2008.  He has been a certified soccer referee for over twenty years and continues in that capacity in high school, adult and youth leagues including in the 2021 State 5A Girls’ championship match.