For Ashley Nikkel (’12), success in the courtroom isn’t the only measure of impact. This spring, the William S. Boyd School of Law alumna and Managing Shareholder at Parsons Behle & Latimer’s Reno office led the Incline High School “We the People” team to a first-place finish at the Nevada State Championships. The victory earned her students a coveted trip to the National Finals in Washington, D.C., this April.

For Ashley, the moment was more than a win; it was a homecoming. Years ago, she stood in those same students’ shoes, competing in the very same program at Incline High. That early

Written by: Matt Jacob

After earning her undergraduate business degree in just three years, graduating magna cum laude, Las Vegas native Shane Jasmine Young ’04 found her path taking an unexpected turn — she was expecting twins. She and her husband, Charles, moved back home to be near family, and that’s when Shane discovered the William S. Boyd School of Law’s part-time evening program. It offered the flexibility she needed as a soon-to-be mother. Three demanding years later, she graduated cum laude, ranking 33rd in her class. 

While studying for the bar, Shane began her career at Snell & Wilmer

For someone born and bred in the Garden State such as Jordan Hollander, understanding the history of his state’s and Atlantic City’s growth as one of the top locales for casino gaming has been a point of pride.

Nevada was the only state with legal casino gaming until Resorts Atlantic City opened in 1978. In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which had grandfathered Nevada’s monopoly on legal sports betting, was unconstitutional. Just six years later, with Hollander now serving as assistant section chief of casino licensing for New

As the director of sports betting for the New Hampshire Lottery since August 2020, William S. Boyd School of Law graduate Daniel Maloney, Jr., has closely watched the dramatic growth in legalized wagering on sports.

“I’m already where I wanted to be in 10 years,” said Maloney, who received his Masters of Law (LL.M.) in Gaming Law and Regulation at Boyd four years ago. “I love the job. I love the people.”

Maloney said New Hampshire is one of seven states where the lottery has the regulatory authority to conduct sports betting. DraftKings is the contracted operator for New Hampshire, and all

Former Nevada Gaming Control Board member Brittnie Watkins is convinced the LL.M. in Gaming Law and Regulation degree she received in 2017 from the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV has helped her shape the dynamic growth of one of the state’s most challenging industries.

Watkins, who served a four-year term with the Board, was chair from November 2022 to January 2023. Prior to becoming a board member, she represented gaming clients for more than four years as an attorney at Las Vegas-based Pisanelli Bice.

“It provided me with both theoretical and practical knowledge,” says Watkins of the

But Kelsey Lamph didn’t know she’d be sitting next to a Nevada legend, Patricia Cafferata, during her externship last year in the Nevada State Public Defender’s Office in Carson City. 

“Patty is an amazing woman to have as a mentor,” Lamph says of the veteran assemblywoman and state’s first female treasurer (in 1982), who has been Chief Legal Advisor to three district attorneys. Now in her 80s, Cafferata still works with the public defender’s office in Carson City.

“Her being this amazing force in Nevada was a great experience,” Lamph says. “It was like going around with a celebrity.”

Lamph

Written By Pat McDonnell

Erica Adler (J.D. '20, LL.M. '21) is convinced her career has moved faster than she could have imagined since she received her LL.M. degree in 2021.

Just months before that momentous accomplishment, Adler was testifying before the Nevada Legislature for the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV Professor Becky Harris’ Gaming Policy Seminar. She learned how to develop solutions to key gaming issues from Harris, who had served from 2018-19 as the first female chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

In August 2021, the Japan-founded Aruzé Gaming firm offered Adler a

Written By Pat McDonnell

When Chandler Pohl (J.D. '14, LL.M. '18) returned to Las Vegas from Singapore after five years as a film and television professor, he thought he would pursue educational law in the United States. He had earned a bachelor’s degree at UNLV in 1998 in film/cinema/video studies, but did not think entertainment law would interest him as a career.

Suddenly, Pohl’s pursuit of a Juris Doctorate as a William S. Boyd School of Law student in an international entertainment mecca, which he began in August 2010 and finished in 2014, made all the sense in the world.

“The base J.D

Where are you serving? 

I serve as a Senior Deputy District Attorney in the Churchill County District Attorney’s Office. 

How long have you been in this office? 

I have worked in this office for 6 years. 

What does your typical week involve? 

I deal with crimes against people, so I handle cases from beginning to end each week. Our cases are either in justice court or district court. We have only five criminal attorneys because our county is so small. Every week is different! 

What do you enjoy most about serving your community? 

I like being in a small community and living in Fallon; I like to serve

Where were you serving?

I served in the Second Judicial District Court in Washoe County, Nevada under the Honorable Barry L. Breslow. 

How long were you in this office? 

I was in this position for one year, from August 2023 to September 2024. 

What did your typical week involve? 

A typical week consisted of numerous hearings every day. Given the incredible caseload most of our Judges have here in Washoe County, we were in trial quite often. If we were not in trial, days were spent drafting orders and memoranda for the Court, game planning with staff and colleagues for upcoming matters, and speaking