TRANSFORMING NEVADA & BEYOND
“In these unprecedented times, our mission is more important now than ever. The issues that are confronting our communities, local and national governments, and the world require lawyers and leaders who are prepared to problem-solve skillfully and thoughtfully. No matter your legal interests, a Boyd Law education prepares you to improve your community and your clients’ lives.
Leah Chan Grinvald Dean
Richard J. Morgan Professor of Law
Our story begins at a surprising place: Family.
The Boyd Law Family is a supportive, collaborative group of faculty, staff, and students who are focused on helping you succeed on your terms.
We are nimble, responsive, and unbound by decades of tradition, much like our home city of Las Vegas. Here, you and your fellow students create your own traditions.
We believe in service. Supporting our local community is baked into the experience and the curriculum.
We are experiential, with hands-on learning starting early in your first year and continuing throughout.
We are accomplished, with high-achieving students, professors, and alumni.
Above all, we are completely focused on our students’ success and our community’s best interests.
Welcome to the Boyd Law Family.
Bet on yourself at Boyd Law
Everything about Boyd Law is designed to help students succeed. You can be confident you’ll receive a highly personalized education with an emphasis on hands-on, practical learning beginning in your first year.
Here your classmates and professors really get to know you, building connections that last throughout your career.
As you progress through your time at Boyd Law, externships, clinics, and practicum and simulation courses help you learn-by-doing and bridge the gap from the classroom to the practice of real-world law. Students and alumni often say these experiences are some of their most valuable.
In-House Clinics
Clinic offerings vary from year to year to reflect the most pressing legal needs. In recent years, students have worked on matters involving immigration, public defense, survivor advocacy, and economic justice to support small business.
Externships
• Government & Public Interest
• Judicial
• Legislative Simulation and Practicum Courses
• Kids’ Court School
• Trial Skills
• Pre-Trial Litigation
• Negotiation
• Arbitration
“The sense of support extends well beyond the classroom. Boyd Law provides students with a variety of networking events, galas, and professional mixers that connect students with alumni, judges, and practicing attorneys. Combined with workshops, panels, and student organizations, these experiences offer countless opportunities to grow, build relationships, and prepare for life after graduation.
Davieon Center
Boyd Law Class of 2027
Transforming Nevada and Beyond
Co-Curricular Activities
From day one, you’ll be immersed in the experience of being a lawyer. Through the Christine Smith Community Service Program, you’ll work with partners such as Legal Aid of Southern Nevada or Nevada Legal Services and divide into teams. Then, under the supervision of an attorney, you will provide free weekly public education classes on topics such as family law and divorce, small claims, special education rights, paternity, custody, guardianship, immigration, criminal record sealing, and bankruptcy.
In addition, the program offers other ways to assist the community through focused Community Law Days in topics such as estate planning or immigration forms.
Competitions
You will continue to gain hands-on experience through our numerous mock trial and moot court competition teams. Boyd Law’s competition opportunities allow you to sharpen your writing and oral advocacy skills and compete at the local, regional, and national level. Students have previously competed in topics that included:
• Asylum and Refugee Law
• National Labor and Employment Law
• Baseball Arbitration
• Entertainment Law
• Intellectual Property Law
• ABA’s National Appellate Advocacy
• National Law and Religion Moot Court
Pro Bono Cases
You will also have the opportunity to work with a licensed attorney on a pro bono case through Boyd Law’s Partners in Pro Bono program, which is in partnership with the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada. In the past, students have been assigned cases in family law, consumer fraud, bankruptcy, probate, and appeals.
The excitement of Las Vegas, combined with the thrill of in-state tuition.
There’s so much more to the story of Las Vegas than just casinos and The Strip. Las Vegas is a rapidly growing city that’s home to exciting industries - entertainment and sports, naturally, but also in fields like healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and technology.
Because of that growth, and because Boyd Law is the only law school in the state, you can quickly ascend into your career goals here.
When you need a break, the city is surrounded by opportunities to get outside and explore. Ski resorts, national parks, mountains, lakes, and more are all within an easy drive. And the weather is phenomenal, with ample sunshine and pleasant temperatures during the academic year.
Las Vegas is diverse and energetic, with residents hailing from around the world. Along with that comes a compelling arts scene, dynamic dining options, and a spirit that’s forward-looking, familyfriendly, and welcoming.
Nevada makes it easy to become a resident, so Boyd Law students pay in-state tuition after just one year.
Due to our small class sizes, Boyd Law faculty can learn about our students’ individual interests and strengths, and support them in a variety of ways. We work with students to provide personalized job and clerkship recommendations and guidance, coach mock trial and moot court teams, and provide support to student-run organizations in our areas of expertise.
Professor Lori Johnson
Faculty: The Heart of Nevada’s Law School
In many ways, Boyd Law feels like a private school experience, combined with the advantages of a public school - tuition, resources, diversity, and more. Nowhere is that more true than with Boyd Law’s faculty.
Boyd Law’s professors are highly accomplished legal scholars and practitioners, yet it’s their collaborative nature that makes the biggest impact on our students. From the dean on down, it’s a collegial environment where personal attention to student goals and outcomes is of primary importance.
Boyd Law’s faculty are looked to locally and nationally for their expertise and opinions on key developments. The school consistently attracts some of the best legal minds, as evidenced by our legal writing program, which regularly ranks among the top in the country. That’s in large part because Boyd Law recruits professors who are incredibly talented in that area, and in turn, our students regularly win competitions and awards.
Areas of Study & Degree Programs
Flexible Options
Boyd Law offers flexible options for students, including full-time day, part-time day, and a new part-time evening hybrid option. This ensures you can achieve your goals for your future while also accommodating the demands of your present.
The first-year curriculum teaches students the basics of the law and the legal system, while giving you the practical training you need to be effective lawyers through our Christine Smith Community Service Program, which can start in the spring semester of the first year.
Joint Degree Programs
Aside from a JD degree, students can opt for a dual-degree program offered in conjunction with UNLV’s graduate schools, allowing you to graduate with two degrees in roughly four years. Dual degree programs include:
• Master of Business Administration (JD/MBA)
• Master of Social Work (JD/MSW)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Education (JD/PhD)
LL.M. in Gaming Law and Regulation
Boyd Law also offers a Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) in Gaming Law and Regulation. With more gaming law courses than any other law school in the world, our unique program prepares lawyers for careers in this fast-growing industry.
New Hybrid Part-Time Program
Aligning with our history as an innovator in legal education, Boyd Law is scheduled to launch a new parttime evening hybrid program. This flexible program makes it possible for students with professional or family commitments to earn a law degree designed with their busy schedule in mind. (The part-time hybrid program is subject to ABA acquiescence.)
For full details about the program, please visit law.unlv.edu
“Boyd Law understood the importance of learning-by-doing that serves our community. It pushes you out of your comfort zone. Having to take a class to be able to explain to the community, ‘This is what the small claims process looks like; this is what the landlord/ tenant process looks like; these are steps to protect your rights or advocate for yourself’ was a huge responsibility and something I needed.
Sandra Douglass Morgan President, Las Vegas Raiders Boyd Law Class of 2003
Alumni: Leading Las Vegas (and all of Nevada)
Boyd Law’s alumni hold prominent positions in all of Nevada’s main law firms, as well as most of its largest employers and most innovative companies. There’s a good chance that a Boyd Law connection exists at just about any place you’d want to work or do an externship.
Our graduates have ascended to positions of power and responsibility across the state and beyond. Boyd Law alumni are members of Nevada’s state assembly and sit on the state and federal bench as judges. They help craft policy, set legal precedent, and lead their communities.
Career Development: Boyd Law Graduates Get Jobs
Simply put, there are more jobs available in Nevada than there are lawyers to fill them. Employers are often seeking out ways to stand out to our students because they value the preparation and professionalism that students gain here.
You’re embedded in the legal community from the minute you step on campus and you’ll have incredible opportunities to network. Boyd Law’s Career Development Office works with you from early in your first year to provide practical skills, define career goals, connect with mentors and prospective employers, and give you the tools and resources you need.
Whether you’re looking to serve in government, non-profits, or business, Boyd Law is the first step on a long and interesting path to a rewarding career.
Learn more and apply at law.unlv.edu
@boydlawunlv
J.D. Programs
Full-time day
Part-time day
Part-time evening hybrid*
Dual-Degree Options
Master of Business Administration (JD/MBA)**
Master of Social Work (JD/MSW)**
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (JD/PhD)**
LL.M. in Gaming Law and Regulation
Concentrations
Business & Commercial Law
Dispute Resolution
Health Law
Intellectual Property Law
Workplace Law
Indian Nations Gaming & Governance
* The part-time evening hybrid program will replace the part-time evening program starting in Fall 2027, subject to pending ABA acquiescence.
**Dual-degree programs offered in conjunction with UNLV’s graduate schools.