Standing Committees

The LVNBA has three standing committees: the Annual Gala Committee, the Community Education and Public Service Committee, and the Membership and Elections Committee. Links to forms for committee activities and events are included at the bottom of the page. If you would like to get involved with our committees, please contact us at lasvegasnba@yahoo.com.

Annual Gala

The Annual Gala Committee is responsible for planning and organizing the Annual Gala. This includes venue selection, speaker procurement, and creating the banquet program and publicity materials.

Chair: Doreen Spears-Hartwell

Doreen Spears-Hartwell is a shareholder in the Litigation Department at Lionel Sawyer & Collins. She received her Juris Doctor from McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, in 2000 where she was a member of the Traynor Honor Society and her Bachelor of the Arts from Fairfield University 1989. Her practice emphasis is on civil litigation in state and federal courts. Doreen's areas of practice include commercial litigation, employment law, real estate, product liability, and trust/probate litigation. She is a member of the State Bar of Nevada, the Clark County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, and the Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys. Doreen is also a Litigation Counsel of America Fellow and a Las Vegas National Bar Association Foundation Trustee. She has received several honors and distinctions, including 2008 Attorney of the Year, National Bar Association (Las Vegas Chapter), 2008 Bank of America Local Hero Award, 2005 Judge Sally Loehrer Pro Bono Service Award, and 2001 Myrna Williams Children's Pro Bono Award.

Committee Members: Libo Agwara, Amber White-Davidson, and Marsha Kimbel-Simms

Executive Board Liaison: Patricia Lee

Upcoming Meetings: No meeting is scheduled at this time.

Upcoming Event: The 21st Annual Scholarship Gala (save-the-date flyer) will be held on Saturday, October 23, 2010, at Bally’s in Las Vegas, Nevada. On behalf of the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association Foundation (“Foundation”) and the Las Vegas National Bar Association (“LVNBA”), we would like to invite you to take part in one of our chapter’s most honored traditions. The Foundation is a public charity created to encourage diversity in the legal field by providing scholarships to minority and low-income law students. Please use this form to purchase tickets or sponsor the gala. We also encourage you to place an ad in the gala program booklet. You can also PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS ONLINE.

Scholarships:
Over the last twenty years, the LVNBA has provided scholarships to many law students, a number of whom have become attorneys practicing law in Nevada today. The scholarships are funded through our annual Scholarship Gala, and corporate sponsors are a vital part of the gala’s success. Last year, with the generous support of our sponsors, we were able to give six law students a total of $6,500 in scholarships. Scholarship information and scholarship applications are now available. The deadline for scholarship applications is September 30, 2010 (postmark).
Awards:
In addition to presenting scholarships to this year’s recipients, the LVNBA will also be honoring the following entities/individuals:

Community Service Award: This award is given to a local individual and/or head of a local non-profit organization that has gone well above and beyond the call of duty and engaged in community service efforts that have improved the quality of life for members of the greater Las Vegas community in any of the following important areas: education, youth mentoring, service to the elderly, homeless, economically disadvantaged, or performed other good works.

2010 Honoree: Dr. William W. Sullivan

Corporate Service Award: This award is given to a local corporation that has demonstrated a commitment to diversity at all levels (e.g., hiring, retention, promotion, vendor contracting, grant funding, community service offerings, etc.), and such corporation by engaging in such efforts has yielded a positive benefit to the local community, in particular those individuals, heads of non-profits, and corporations that have visibly engaged in community service efforts in the African-American community. Recipients do not have to be individuals employed in the legal profession or heads of local non-profit, legal organizations. Law firms or other entites whose sole purpose is the provision of legal services to the community in exchange for compensation are not eligible for this award.

2010 Honoree: NV Energy

Law Firm of the Year: This award is given to a local law firm that has demonstrated a commitment to diversity at all levels (hiring, retention, promotion, pro-bono efforts, etc.), and/or has handled cases or matters yielding a positive benefit to the greater community, especially communities of color or low income communities in Southern Nevada.

2010 Honoree: Lewis and Roca

Lawyer of the Year: This honor is bestowed upon a local attorney who has provided exceptional service to his or her clients, served the needs of a diverse client base with great success, and has inspired the membership of our organization through their ethical law practice and track record for serving the local community, especially communities of color.

2010 Honoree: F. Travis Buchanan, Esq.

2010 Posthumous Honoree: Judge Kevin Williams

If you are interested in getting involved or donating to this important event, please communicate your interest via e-mail to Doreen Spears-Hartwell.at lasvegasnba@yahoo.com.

News:

The Annual Gala Committee met on Tuesday, June 8 at 12:00 p.m. at Lionel Sawyer & Collins, 16th floor, 1700 Bank of America Plaza, 300 S. Fourth Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101.
On June 4, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time), the Annual Gala Committee closed the call for nominations for the Community Service Award, the Corporate Service Award, the Law Firm of the Year Award, and the Attorney of the Year award.
On May 18, 2010, the Annual Gala Committee, in conjunction with the LVNBA Foundation, issued a call for nominations for the Community Service Award, the Corporate Service Award, the Law Firm of the Year Award, and the Attorney of the Year award. The deadline for nominations was June 4, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time).
The first meeting of the Annual Gala Committee was on Monday, April 19 at 12:00 p.m. at Lionel Sawyer & Collins, 16th floor, 1700 Bank of America Plaza, 300 S. Fourth Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101.

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Community Education and Public Service

The Community Education and Public Service Committee is responsible for developing and coordinating community education and service programs. The Community Education and Public Service Committee is also responsible for planning Continuing Legal Education programs.

Chair: F. Travis Buchanan

F. Travis Buchanan is Assistant General Counsel in the Clark County School District (CCSD), Office of General Counsel. He received his Juris Doctor from Western State University College of Law and is the immediate past President of the LVNBA (2007-2009). In his position as Assistant General Counsel, Travis provides day-to-day legal counsel and representation to the Board of School Trustees, the Superintendent, and various administrators in the areas of risk management, labor and employment, civil rights, Title IX, personal injury, and education law. His representation includes defending the District in litigation in state and federal courts. Prior to his appointment with the CCSD, Travis was Assistant General Counsel for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), Deputy General Counsel for the Los Angels Department of Water & Power (LADWP), and a Deputy City Attorney for the City of Los Angeles. At LAUSD, the 2nd largest school district in the nation, Travis defended the District in litigation involving the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), ADA and Rehabilitation Act. At the LADWP, the nation's largest municipal utility, Travis advised all levels of LADWP management and the Board of Water & Power Commissioners in employee relations, collective bargaining, civil rights, the ADA, and related matters. In addition to having served on the executive board of the LVNBA, Travis has also served as Deputy Director and Treasurer of Region IX of the National Bar Association. Travis is also on the Workforce Connections Board, the Indigent Defense Selection & Appointment Committee, the Supreme Court of Nevada Bench and Bar Committee, the Chapter Counsel for the Theta Pi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and the Education Committee of the Las Vegas Chapter of 100 Black Men.

Committee Members: Libo Agwara, Judge Angel Cooley, Amber White-Davidson, Sandra Douglas-Morgan, Kelly Jones, Malcolm Lavergne, and Nikkya Williams

Executive Board Liaison: Rachel Anderson

Upcoming Meetings: No meeting is scheduled at this time.

Upcoming Event(s): The LVNBA will be donating backpacks to schoolchildren at Booker Elementary School, Mat Kelly Elementary School, and Kit Carson Elementary School on Monday, August 30, 2010. We will be stuffing the backpacks with school supplies on Saturday, August 28, 2010. Details of this event will be discussed at the next Community Eduction and Public Service Committee meeting which will be held on Thursday, August 26, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. at Landry's Seafood House.

News:

Volunteers donated backpacks with school supplies on Monday, August 30, 2010 at Booker Elementary School, Mat Kelly Elementary School, and Kit Carson Elementary School.
Volunteers stuffed backpacks with school supplies on Saturday, August 28, 2010 at 3:30 p.m. at Hutchison & Steffen, Peccole Professional Park, 10080 West Alta Drive, Suite 200, Las Vegas, Nevada 89145 hosted by Patricia Lee.
The Community Eduction and Public Service Committee met on Thursday, August 26, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. at Landry's Seafood House.
The Community Education and Public Service Committee met on Thursday, June 10, 2010 at Landry's Seafood House.
On May 21, 2001, the LVNBA co-hosted Meet and Greet with Judicial Candidates at the Mandarin Bar together with the Las Vegas chapters of the Asian Bar Association, the Latino Bar Association, and the South Asian Bar Association. The event was a tremendous success and over 80 people attended the Meet and Greet! Congratulations to the joint planning committee and to F. Travis Buchanan and the members of the Community Education and Public Service Committee for all their hard work. Click here for the Meet and Greet Flyer.
LVNBA Members F. Travis Buchanan, Patricia Lee, and Nikkia Williams participated in Career Day at Andre Agassi Preparatory Academy on May 6, 2010. They talked about what high school students need to do to prepare for careers in law, career options available to law school graduates, the importance of diversity in the legal profession, and examples of a day in the life of a lawyer. Many students were interested in becoming lawyers and it was a successful and rewarding event.
The Community Education and Public Service Committee met on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at Landry's Seafood House.

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Membership and Elections

The Membership and Elections Committee is responsible for recruitment and retention of members, planning and organizing member events, and overseeing nominations and elections. This includes developing and organizing recruitment and retention initiatives, for example, membership campaigns, special membership categories, and membership benefits.

Chair: Augusta Massey

Augusta Massey is an associate at the Anthony A. Zmaila Limited PLLC law firm and specializes in Bankruptcy and Receivership. She recived her Juris Doctor from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis where she also received her Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude in English. During law school, Augusta received several awards and accolades, including Freshman Moot Court Competition Champion, Dean’s award for excellence for Best Legal Memorandum, and CALI awards for excellence in trial advocacy, cyber law, and international business transactions, as well as several regional and local scholarships. She was also an associate member of the Moot Court Board and the Tennessee Journal of Practice & Procedure. She is a member of the Howard D. McKibben Inn of Court and volunteers at the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada.

Committee Members: Judge Angel Cooley, Alzora Jackson-Winder, and Karl Riley

Executive Board Liaison: Tierra Jones

Meetings: The Membership and Elections Committee meets once a month by phone on Wednesday in the week after the General Membership Meeting takes place.

Upcoming Event(s): The Membership and Elections Committee is busy planning future events. If you would like to get involved, please contact Augusta Massey at lasvegasnba@yahoo.com.

News:

The Membership and Elections Committee met on Wednesday, July 21 at 5:45 p.m. by phone.
The LVNBA is now on Linkedin!
The Membership and Elections Committee met on Wednesday, June 23 at 5:45 p.m. by phone.
The Membership and Elections Committee met on Wednesday, May 26 at 5:45 p.m. by phone.
The Membership and Elections Committee is working on a newsletter. If you would like to get involved, please contact Augusta Massey at lasvegasnba@yahoo.com.
The LVNBA is now on Facebook! Just add add "Las Vegas National Bar Association (LVNBA)" to join us on Facebook. Please let your friends and colleagues know that they can join the LVNBA on Facebook.
The Membership and Elections Committee Meeting met on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at Anthony A. Zmaila Limited PLLC, 265 East Warm Springs Rd., #100, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119.

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Please contact us at lasvegasnba@yahoo.com if you would like to get involved or support our committee efforts.

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Forms

Event Proposal Form

Event Status Report

Post-Event Report

Reimbursement Form

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