It has been an honor to serve the people of Assembly District 9 in the Nevada Legislature since 2016. We have accomplished quite a bit, but there is still work to do.
In the 2017 legislative session, I was proud to support legislation in the following areas: voter rights, protecting our public lands (including Red Rock), greater protections for victims of domestic and sexual violence, bringing back rooftop solar and other forms of renewable energy, greater access to healthcare, including for the mentally ill, and bringing more fairness and efficiency to our criminal justice system.
In the 2019 legislative session, I was proud to spearhead the most comprehensive criminal justice reform in our state's history, focusing on rehabilitation to prevent crime and make our community safer.
I am a partner at Battle Born Injury Lawyers. I primarily represent people who have been injured through no fault of their own to ensure they receive the compensation they deserve to pay for increasingly expensive medical care. For more than seven years prior to that, I was a Chief Deputy Public Defender at the Clark County Public Defender’s Office, serving the most needy in the community and ensuring that every Nevadan is afforded the protections of both the Nevada and United States Constitution. My work has enlightened me about the lack of services and assistance for the seriously mentally ill and for other Nevadans who are often forgotten. We must do more for those who need our help the most. As Nevada moves forward, we must make a concerted effort to ensure that there are opportunities for all Nevadans, not just a select few.
During the 2013 and 2015 Nevada legislative sessions, I served as an advocate for Clark County and the Public Defender’s Office. In that role, I gained valuable experience, learning the legislative process firsthand and participating in the drafting of legislation and the presentation of bills and amendments. The experience taught me the importance of working together, regardless of party affiliation, as well as the value of practical solutions to help struggling Nevadans. This experience will allow me to hit the ground running and to be effective in Carson City.
I am the middle of three boys. My parents instilled a strong work ethic in me, always emphasizing the value of education as the gateway to success, a philosophy that I continue to strongly believe in. My mother taught me to respect others and she provided a model example of caring and generosity, always being willing to give to others even when it meant depriving herself. Although we didn’t have much growing up, we always had enough to help others with greater needs.
I attended public high school and also worked throughout high school. I was employed at a greenhouse doing manual labor, at fast food establishments, and as a busboy/server at a local restaurant. I understand the value of a dollar. After high school, I enrolled at the University of Michigan, where I discovered a passion for serving the community. After graduation, I continued my education at Cornell Law School. Though I was fortunate to receive partial scholarships for my schooling, I primarily financed the cost of my education myself, working as much as I could and taking out personal education loans to make up the difference. As a result, I appreciate the cost of higher education and the financial sacrifice that it imposes both on the student and the family. I also appreciate that prospective students need to be assured that their significant financial investment will result in employment opportunities worthy of the investment in education.