Professor Nancy Rapoport Honored with 2026 Barrick Distinguished Scholar Award
The William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is proud to announce that Nancy B. Rapoport, a UNLV Distinguished Professor and the Garman Turner Gordon Professor of Law, has been named a recipient of the 2026 Barrick Distinguished Scholar Award.
The Barrick Scholar Award recognize faculty members who have established a record of distinguished research or demonstrated extraordinary excellence in creative activity. Funded by an endowment from the late Marjorie Barrick, the awards are granted following recommendations from a committee of former recipients. The Distinguished Scholar designation specifically honors faculty members with 10 years of service or more in an academic environment following their terminal degree.
“Professor Nancy Rapoport embodies the very essence of a distinguished scholar. Her ability to pivot from foundational issues of bankruptcy and legal ethics to the cutting-edge implications of artificial intelligence is a testament to her intellectual curiosity and rigor,” said Leah Chan Grinvald, Dean and Richard J. Morgan Professor of Law. “Beyond her research, Nancy’s leadership and mentorship have been instrumental in shaping the identity of the William S. Boyd School of Law. We are incredibly proud to see her lifelong dedication to legal education, scholarship, and the profession recognized with the Barrick Distinguished Scholar Award.”
Professor Rapoport’s prolific career includes serving as the first female dean at two different law schools — the University of Nebraska College of Law and the University of Houston Law Center. At UNLV, she has held several key leadership roles, including Interim Dean of the Boyd School of Law, Acting Executive Vice President and Provost, and Special Counsel to the President.
Her research focuses on lawyer and law firm behavior, ethics, corporate governance, and bankruptcy. Most recently, she has emerged as a leading voice on the intersection of legal ethics and artificial intelligence, with forthcoming works including A Short & Happy Guide to Artificial Intelligence and Legal Ethics.
In January 2026, Professor Rapoport was honored with the prestigious Commercial and Consumer Law Scholarship Award from the Association of American Law Schools (AALS).
“It's lovely to be recognized with so many other talented scholars at UNLV,” said Professor Rapoport. “My work intersects ethical issues with such areas as lawyer and law firm behavior, corporate governance, and bankruptcy, and my new and passionate interest in artificial intelligence.”
Beyond her academic achievements, Rapoport is a well-known expert on the Enron bankruptcy, appearing in the Academy Award®-nominated documentary Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room. She is also a competitive ballroom dancer, recently placing 7th in the "C" Open to the World 9-Dance Championship at the 2025 United States Dance Championships.