Boyd Law Welcomes Five Distinguished New Faculty Members This Fall
The William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV is bolstering its curriculum and community impact this fall by welcoming five distinguished new scholars and practitioners to its faculty.
"It is a privilege to welcome such an outstanding group of educators to Boyd Law this fall,” said Dean Leah Chan Grinvald. “Beyond their impressive achievements in practice and research, they share a deep dedication to our community and to training the next generation of ethical, skilled legal leaders. They are a wonderful addition to our vibrant intellectual community."
The new faculty members bring expertise spanning global legal systems, conflict resolution, disability justice, gaming law and regulation and legal information science. Their arrival reinforces Boyd Law’s ongoing commitment to delivering a future-focused, practice-ready legal education.
Patrick (Pat) Chapin
Patrick N. Chapin is an Assistant Professor-in-Residence and Associate Director of the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution, teaching experiential learning courses in arbitration, mediation, and negotiation while coaching both Boyd Law’s student Client Counseling and Negotiation Teams. Prior to joining Boyd Law, he spent over thirty years in private practice as a civil litigator and trial attorney, with an emphasis in employment and business law. He also maintained an active dispute resolution practice serving as an arbitrator or mediator for hundreds of disputes.
Professor Chapin is a former Nevada Supreme Court Settlement Judge and Judge Pro Tempore. His distinguished legal career includes roles as Chair of the ADR Section of the State Bar of Nevada, neutral panelist for the American Arbitration Association, and Vice-Chair of Nevada’s Standing Committee on Judicial Ethics. He was an elected member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (Nevada Chapter), and AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He earned his B.A. from Purdue University and J.D. from Capital University Law School.
Professor Chapin holds advanced degrees in Divinity and Theology, and is an ordained Buddhist Priest in the Navayana tradition. He is Board Chairperson Emeritus for Nevada Public Radio.
Ching-Ting (Tina) Fortier
Tina Fortier joined Boyd Law as a Research Librarian and Assistant Professor of Law in February 2026. Bringing over a decade of diverse legal experience across Nevada and Illinois, she is uniquely equipped to mentor students through complex legal research. Her extensive litigation and compliance background includes recovering over $2 million in property damage claims at Qualey Williams Aikens, serving as in-house counsel for major carriers like Allstate and Liberty Mutual, and managing defense litigation at Alverson Taylor & Sanders. She also brings rich regulatory expertise from roles at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada and Christie Clinic.
Professor Fortier discovered her passion for legal instruction as a graduate assistant at the University of Illinois College of Law. Blending her practical experience with information science, she earned her M.A. in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University in 2025. She holds a J.D., cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law, where she was Articles Editor for the Law Review and competed on the National Moot Court team, and a B.A., magna cum laude, from Creighton University.
Greg Gemignani
Greg Gemignani is an Assistant Professor-in-Residence and Director of the LL.M. in Gaming Law and Regulation program. A seasoned practitioner and educator, Gemignani brings over two decades of deep expertise in gaming law, intellectual property, cybersecurity, and technology regulation.
Previously serving as Chair of the Gaming Practice Group at Dickinson Wright PLLC and practicing at Lionel Sawyer & Collins, Gemignani has routinely advised private clients, regulatory agencies, and governments on legislative drafting, licensing, and emerging gaming technologies. His vast background also includes trademark prosecution, IP litigation support, and federal and state lobbying.
Gemignani is a familiar face at Boyd Law, having taught as an adjunct professor at Boyd since 2005 on topics spanning Federal Gaming Law, Gaming Law Policy, and Technology Innovation. Furthermore, as a primary lecturer for UNLV’s International Center for Gaming Regulation (ICGR) since 2016, he has delivered specialized regulatory training on sports wagering, anti-money laundering, and compliance to regulators from over 60 jurisdictions worldwide.
Gemignani earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin Law School. He is an active member of the International Masters of Gaming Law and holds top legal honors, including rankings in Chambers USA and Best Lawyers in America.
Cassie Hazelip
Cassie Hazelip is an Associate Professor of Law who will design and teach a new law clinic focused on upholding the dignity and autonomy of people with disabilities. She researches the government's regulation of families and individuals via the family policing system and involuntary psychiatric commitment.
Professor Hazelip joined academia as a clinical teaching fellow at Yale Law School in the Mental Health Justice Clinic. Before that she was a public defender with the Family Defense Practice at The Bronx Defenders, representing parents in cases where the government sought to remove their children. She has also worked with incarcerated individuals seeking parole. Prior to law school, Professor Hazelip worked with people experiencing street homelessness through Charlotte, North Carolina's Housing First initiative and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Community Health Improvement Project in rural Zambia.
She earned her J.D. from the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law and holds B.A.s with distinction in International Studies and in Political Science, with Highest Honors, from the University of Michigan.
Michael (Mike) McArthur
Mike McArthur is the Director of the Wiener-Rogers Law Library and an Associate Professor of Law. He brings over a decade of leadership in academic law libraries, having previously served as Assistant Director of Access and Collection and FCIL Librarian at Duke University School of Law, as well as Reference Librarian at the University of Michigan Law School.
Professor McArthur’s research and teaching focus on modern legal research methodologies, global legal resources, and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. He co-authors the regular column Behind the Books: Global Insights from Law Librarians for the International Journal of Legal Information, where he also serves as an Assistant Editor.
An active global voice, he has presented on legal systems and legal AI across Japan and Brazil. He currently serves as Secretary for the International Association of Law Libraries. He holds a B.A. from Brigham Young University, a J.D. from the University of Nebraska, and an M.L.I.S. from the University of Washington.