During the most recent legislative session, the Nevada Legislature approved SB 242 (the “Bill”). This Bill adopted the Model Registered Agents Act drafted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and replaces the current resident agent with two types of registered agents, the commercial registered agent and the noncommercial registered agent. Adoption of the Model Registered Agents Act in Nevada and other sates is expected to standardize and simplify the registration process for entities operating in multiple jurisdictions. The passage of the Bill creates a new chapter in Title 7 of the NRS and affects various other existing sections of the Nevada Revised Statutes. The following is a summary of the changes for resident agents that result from the passage of the Bill but should not be relied on to provide a complete or comprehensive description of the changes.
By Scott Halvorsen

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Since 1909, the Nevada Constitution has allowed direct democracy in the form of the initiative process. Nevada is one of twenty-seven states that have the initiative or popular referendum process whereby citizens can place issues on the ballot. However, Nevada is unique in its requirement that an initiative to amend the constitution must be approved by voters twice, in two successive elections, before taking effect. Despite that requirement, voters have seen a steady increase in the number of initiative petitions.
By John W. Griffin and Russell M. Rowe

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The Nevada Assembly passed a number of resolutions and bills which will have substantial impact on the judiciary and court systems. The legislature approved increases in salaries for state judges, and for certain Supreme Court employees. Washoe and Clark counties received new judicial positions. Other changes include amendment to court reporter certification requirements, juror service exemptions, and increases in witness travel. The legislature also took the first step toward amending the constitution to replace judicial elections with a merit selection system, and to create an intermediate appellate court.
By Tami Cowden

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A common refrain heard by those laboring over legal briefs is the admonition to ‘tell the story.’ Since the first meaning of “story” in the dictionary is “an account of incidents or events,” any brief writer who has faithfully reported the facts of the case is understandably aggrieved by this advice. However, dictionary definitions aside, a storyteller does more then simply recite the facts of the case.
By Tami D. Cowden

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As a litigation attorney (or whatever you practice), who is often bogged down in the mundane world of paper pushing, phone calls and court appearances for paying clients, you may experience a desire to work for those who have no money or resources to help themselves. As clichéd as it sounds, this is probably true for most of us. For me, I have found a number of outlets that fulfill this need; most recently, representing children pro bono through the Children’s Attorney Project (CAP). Before I continue, understand I am not a family law attorney, nor do I pretend to have mastered the rules and practices of representing children. For that, contact Steven Hiltz or my most helpful mentor Janice Wolf at Clark County Legal Services. If, however, you have a passion for taking a look at our community’s most helpless forced into “the system” by the circumstances and decisions of their addicted or otherwise absent parents, and you can commit to advocate for them strongly, you can represent children.
By Lisa Zastrow

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Marketing. Advertising. Business development plans. Networking. Public relations. Hardly new concepts to anyone who has worked for a large corporation or owned their own business, but for the growing legal community in Southern Nevada, these topics are now making their way to firms’ executive committees and directly into the managing partner’s office.

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An old sign in the lobbyist room at the Nevada Legislature reads, “Don’t tell my mom I’m a lobbyist. She thinks I play piano at a whorehouse.” While always worth a good laugh, the sign is not far from the reputation lobbyists have in the public eye. The public’s misperceptions are plentiful about what lobbyists really do and their role in the legislative process. This article will provide a glimpse into what a real day at the Nevada Legislature is like for those working the halls.
By Russell M. Rowe

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The arrival of an odd-numbered year in Nevada ushers in a new season of the Nevada Legislature and, along with it, potential opportunities and perils for attorneys and their clients. Those unfamiliar with the legislative process tend to look upon it with disdain and skepticism. However, attornies involved in the legislative process recognize it for what it truly is: a process for the resolution of public policy issues afforded to us by our democracy, and a process that deserves the respect of all citizens, particularly those of us given the privilege of administering, interpreting and upholding the law.
By Robert L. Crowell, Esq. & Russell M. Rowe, Esq.

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In the summer of 2005, the Supreme Court of the United States decided a momentous case regarding government’s rights when exercising the power of eminent domain. Specifically, the Court held that a “city’s exercise of eminent domain power in furtherance of an economic development plan satisfied Constitutional ‘public use’ requirements.” Kelo v. City of New London, Connecticut, 125 S. Ct 2655 at 2656 (2005). However, the Court specified that “nothing in our opinion precludes any State from placing further restrictions on its exercise of the takings of power.” Id. at 2668.
By Tabitha Keetch

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In June, Carson city attorney Robert Crowel merged the law firm started by his father in 1954 — Crowell, Susich, Tackles & Griffin — with Kummer Kaempfer Bonner Renshaw and Ferrario. “We are looking for a way to offer clients a broader scope of representation,” he says of the union with Kummer Kaempfer, which has offices in Reno and Las Vegas. A native Nevadan, Crowell is past president of the State Bar of Nevada, and past president of the Colorado River Commission of Nevada. He is currently president of the Carson City School Board and chairman of the board of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce. He is a graduate of Carson City schools, Stanford University and Hasting College of the Law. Crowell’s government affairs expertise across a wide range of areas — including public utilities, telecommunications and transportation — has earned him a reputation as one of the Capitol’s most respected and effective advocates.
By Robert Crowell

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