FEBRUARY 2004 (back to index)

Black History Month Feature: African-Americans in the Nevada Judiciary

By: Mae Flennoy, Communications Director / NV Lawyer Editor

On their shoulders rests far more than the responsibility of administering justice to the people. They embody the manifested hopes and dreams of their race. They are the legacies of Jane Bolin, the first African-American woman judge in the United States. Pacesetters and trailblazers, they are Nevada's first and only African-American female jurists, the Hon. Johnnie B. Rawlinson and the Hon. Karen Bennett-Haron.  

Black History Month was established to remind us of the significant contributions that African- Americans have made in developing our society and advancing American culture. The principles of law and order make up the foundation upon which this country is built. Just as it has been done all over the country, in Nevada, African-Americans are breaking color barriers in every arena, including the legal profession.  

The State Bar of Nevada has long been integrated, but there have only been a handful of African-Americans in the judiciary, like Addeliar Guy and Earl White. Guy was the first black district court judge in Nevada.  

There are currently five African-American judges serving in various courts in Nevada: Judges Michael Douglas, Lee Gates, Kenneth Howard, Rawlinson and Bennett-Haron. It was only five years ago that Nevada saw its first black female Judge in the U.S. District Court, Judge Rawlinson. Less than two years ago, the Clark County Commission appointed the state justice court's first black female, Judge Bennett-Haron.

Judge Johnnie B. Rawlinson - United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Appointed as a U.S. District Judge in 1998 by President Bill Clinton, Judge Rawlinson holds another distinction. She is the first African-American woman to serve on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. President Clinton appointed her to the circuit in 2000.  

Despite her modest beginnings in a small town in North Carolina, Judge Rawlinson went on to graduate with honors from North Carolina A&T State University with a degree in psychology. She earned a full scholarship to the University of Pacific McGeorge School of Law.  

Prior to taking the bench, Judge Rawlinson served in the District Attorney's office for 18 years. She served as deputy district attorney and then assistant district attorney.  

The judge says a friend of her husband's touted the many rewards of a law career and that's what gave her the first nudge toward law school.  

"Understanding the law gives you the confidence to protect yourself in any situation, from buying a house or car to knowing your rights on the job," she says. "I found that concept to be very powerful."  

Judge Rawlinson, who maintains her chambers in Las Vegas at the Lloyd D. George Courthouse, says she does not take her role as a "pioneer" lightly. She says she feels a sense of responsibility to the entire legal community and beyond.  

"This is an opportunity of a lifetime," she says. "Everyone in this building has received me very positively. I can say truthfully, race relations have improved a thousand fold in the U.S. However, when I'm outside this building, people are taken aback that I'm a judge who's African-American. I think that's a testament to the fact that it has not become commonplace and evidence of the work we need to do, so that there is no surprise when there's an African-American judge, or a judge of any other ethnicity or a judge who's in a wheelchair."  

She added, "As attorneys, all of us have a responsibility to improve relations among all of the people who populate the states. Until we can all work together, our community cannot reach its full potential."  

Judge Rawlinson says her greatest responsibility is to be as fair as possible to everyone who sets foot in her courtroom.  

"It's important to see people on the bench from all different backgrounds and all different circumstances. People need to be able to look at the bench and know that the law serves everyone, that everyone can approach the bar of the court and receive justice," she says. "That was my mantra, everyone de-serves respect, regardless of the crimes they committed or the circumstances that brought them to court."  

Judge Karen Bennett-Haron - Justice of the Peace Department Seven
Judge Bennett-Haron was appointed to the Las Vegas Justice Court bench in May 2002 and became the first African-American female ever appointed to the State's justice system at any level.  

Judge Bennett-Haron earned her Bachelor's degree in political science from Hampton University. After graduating from Thurgood Marshall School of Law, she clerked for the Honorable Thomas Foley. She later served as an assistant federal public defender. Prior to taking the bench, she worked in private practice and served as general counsel to the Las Vegas Housing Authority.  

Judge Bennett-Haron was drawn to the law because of the admiration she held for her family members who have careers in the legal profession, especially her aunt. Once she began pursuing her own law career, she embraced the challenge full force.  

Growing up in Las Vegas, she says she could have never foreseen how far she would go in pursuit of her career. She attributes her ascension to the bench to a new and improved way of thinking by residents and officials.  

"We are becoming a metropolitan city, instead of a small town," she says. "That means we will have to change our way of thinking. I remember some of the issues impacting our community as a child and some of those are still prevalent."  

Along with the pride of her appointment, came a small measure of disappointment, she says.  

"As I said at my investiture, it saddens me that we are still talking about firsts at this date," she says. "I feel very proud to be in this position. I'm also very proud of Judge Rawlinson. I saw it as a major accomplishment for the legal community to have someone of her caliber. Unfortunately, there still isn't the same representation on the bench as there is among the people who find themselves in the courtroom. I'm hopeful that as the legal community expands that it will continue to embrace people of different cultures and backgrounds. It's a benefit to everyone to interact with people of different cultures."

Judge Michael Douglas - Chief Judge, Eighth Judicial District Court Department 11
Judge Douglas was appointed to the Eighth Judicial District Court in 1995 and elected in November 1996 to a six-year term. He was re-elected to a second six-year term in 2003.  

The Judge is a 1974 graduate of the University of California Hastings College of the Law and earned his Bachelor's degree from California State College Long Beach in 1971.  

Prior to his judgeship, Judge Douglas practiced law in Philadelphia, was a staff attorney for Nevada Legal Services and later became a managing attorney. He also served in the Clark County District Attorney's office, Family Support Division in 1984, moving to civil litigation for the District Attorney's office.  

Judge Douglas has aspirations of becoming the first African-American member of the Nevada Supreme Court.  

"No blacks have ever run for the state Supreme Court," he says. "The state was different when I first came to Las Vegas. There were two black judges and only nine attorneys here. Things have really changed from that time. One of my first times in the courtroom, they actually thought I was the defendant rather than the lawyer. Now, there are black attorneys practicing all areas of law…those like Judge Rawlin-son have shown that it can be done. Those successes help breed other successes."  

Judge Douglas says he does not see himself as a role model, but says the reality is that young people see him as an example. Therefore, he takes that responsibility very seriously.  

"A lot of kids can't envision it if they can't see it. If all they see are athletes and singers, then that's all they want to be. I hope I can be a person to open a door. I wouldn't be here if someone hadn't opened a door for me. The greatest gift I could give a kid is hope."

Judge Lee A. Gates - Eighth Judicial District Court Department Eight
Judge Gates, a life-long resident of Las Vegas, was appointed to the Eighth Judicial District Court of Nevada in 1991. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado School of Law. Upon graduation, he practiced law in Colorado and then went to Texas to practice law. He returned to Nevada and began practicing in the Public Defender's office, and eventually opened his own law office.  

Judge Gates says he started off with aspirations of pursuing a career in hotel administration, but there wasn't much opportunity for African-Americans in management in the hotel industry during that time. So then he turned his sights toward the law.  

"Growing up in the 60s and 70s, lawyers were making a great impact on society and improving the lives and conditions of millions of people. I always had a great desire to contribute. You look at what Martin Luther King, Jr., Judge Frank Johnson, Justice Thurgood Marshall and other great heroes of the Civil Rights Movement did, and I wanted to be a part of that."  

Judge Gates, who also has aspirations of being elected to the Nevada Supreme Court, says there is still much more progress to be made in making the legal community in Nevada more representative of the population.  

"African-Americans make up about nine percent of Clark County’s population, and I doubt there are 100 lawyers out of thousands.”  

Judge Gates says he's optimistic about the future of African-Americans in the legal profession in Nevada. With the advent of UNLV's William S. Boyd School of Law in the state, he says it's likely that more blacks will attend law school.  

"Judge White and Judge Guy made it a lot easier for me because they did a good job so that prevented me from having to endure all the obstacles that they encountered. There are still some barriers, but I think there are a lot of opportunities for minorities in this state. When I ran for office, I had a cross-section of the community supporting me. If you do a good job, I think people will elect you."

Judge Kenneth Howard - Reno Municipal Court Department Four
Appointed in December 1998 to fill a new seat on the Reno Municipal Court Bench, Judge Howard is the first and only African-American judge in Reno.  

Judge Howard is a native of Reno and earned a degree in business administration from the University of Nevada, Reno. He received his law degree from McGeorge School of Law in 1981.  

Prior to his judgeship, he was in private practice, primarily in criminal defense. He also served for six years as a deputy district attorney within the criminal division of the Washoe County District Attorney's Office.  

Judge Howard says he decided he wanted to enter the legal profession early on. He became interested in the law beginning in high school when he served as student body president.  

"I loved history and political science, so it was just a natural progression" he says. "I love the courtroom and the trial experience."  

Judge Howard says its disappointing to see that Northern Nevada has even less minority representation in the legal profession than Las Vegas.  

"Obviously, I'd like to see more attorneys of color in the local bar. The justice system should be reflective of our community," he says. "Since I've been here, a number of black lawyers have come to Reno, but they haven't stayed. When you compare Reno to some of the more urban cities like New York and Los Angeles, it's easy to get culture shock."  

Judge Howard says he mentors young people as often as he can, because he feels it's important that they have an example of where hard work can take them.  

"It's particularly important for young black males to see someone working within the system, someone who received an education and is trying to make a positive mark on the community. It's beneficial for them and it helps me give something back to the community…I'm not all that concerned about having it said that I'm the first black judge in Reno in my biography. I would simply like people to say 'he was someone who tried to better his community and attempted to be fair and judicious in the administration of justice'." NL