Nancy Lee Allf is a retired American judge, who served for 13 years on

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

's Eighth Judicial District Court, located in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

Clark County Clark County may refer to: *Clark County, Arkansas *Clark County, Idaho *Clark County, Illinois *Clark County, Indiana *Clark County, Kansas *Clark County, Kentucky *Clark County, Missouri *Clark County, Nevada, containing Las Vegas *Clark County, ...

. As a lawyer, she was involved in the creation of Nevada's business courts, which she later served on for ten years as a judge. She received numerous awards for her judicial service and for her leadership as a lawyer, and has held many leadership positions in the legal community.

Judicial service

In 2010, Alff was elected for the first time to the trial level Eighth Judicial

District Court District courts are a category of courts which exists in several nations, some call them "small case court" usually as the lowest level of the hierarchy. These courts generally work under a higher court which exercises control over the lower co ...

, in Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada. She was subsequently re-elected in 2014 and 2020. She served from 2011 until her retirement in January 2024. Allf became the District Court civil division's presiding judge in 2021. She served on the district court's Business Court for ten years, until her retirement. She was succeeded by Erika Mendoza as a district court judge. Before serving as a Business Court judge, in 2000, while still a lawyer, Nevada's Supreme Court made Allf a member of its Business Court Task Force, which studied the creation and implementation of a specialized

business court Business courts, sometimes referred to as commercial courts, are specialized courts for legal cases involving commercial law, internal business disputes, and other matters affecting businesses. In the US, they are trial courts that primarily or ...

docket in Nevada. The Business Court has a specialized jurisdiction, designed for judges to hear complex cases involving disputes of a business or commercial nature. The Business Court's judges use enhanced judicial case management methods in handling matters before them. In addition to her involvement in creating Nevada's business courts and serving on the Clark County Business Court, Allf has served nationally as a Business Court Representative to the

American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary association, voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students in the United States; national in scope, it is not specific to any single jurisdiction. Founded in 1878, the ABA's stated acti ...

's Business Law Section, and is a member of the American College of Business Court Judges. She has been active in the American Bar Association's Business Law Section, including participating in its Diversity Clerkship Program where diverse law students serve as clerks to business court judges across the United States.

Legal practice and service prior to becoming a judge

In 1983, Allf was admitted to legal practice in Nevada, and worked in the private practice of law until she became a judge, focusing on

commercial Commercial may refer to: * (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services ** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money * a dose of advertising ...

and

bankruptcy law Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

. Among other positions as a practicing lawyer, she was the

managing partner A partner in a law firm, accounting firm, consulting firm, or financial firm is a highly ranked position, traditionally indicating co-ownership of a partnership in which the partners were entitled to a share of the profits as " equity partners" ...

at the private

law firm A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise consumer, clients (individuals or corporations) about their legal rights and Obligation, respon ...

of Allf Paustian & Szostek & Associates from 1999 to 2005, a law firm partner at Parsons, Behle & Latimer from 2005 to 2007, and a partner at the firm of Gonzalez, Saggio & Harlan LLP from 2007 to 2009. As a leader in the legal community, before becoming a judge, Allf was president of the

State Bar of Nevada The State Bar of Nevada is a public corporation operating under the supervision of the Nevada Supreme Court to regulate attorneys in the State of Nevada. It provides education and development programs for its members and to the public. Its dep ...

(the state

bar association A bar association is a professional association of lawyers as generally organized in countries following the Anglo-American types of jurisprudence.

), president of the Board of Directors of the Clark County Law Foundation, president of the Clark County Bar Association, a member of the State Bar of Nevada's Board of Governors, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Clark County Law Foundation. From 1998 to 2007, Nevada's Supreme Court appointed Allf as a Settlement Judge. In 2005 she was appointed to become a Judge in the Clark County District Court's Short Trial Program. After retiring as a judge, Allf joined the private alternative dispute resolution provider JAMS, where she provides services as a

mediator Mediation is a structured, voluntary process for resolving disputes, facilitated by a neutral third party known as the mediator. It is a structured, interactive process where an independent third party, the mediator, assists disputing parties ...

, arbitrator, referee/

special master In the law of the United States, a special master is an official appointed by a judge to ensure judicial orders are followed, or in the alternative, to hear evidence on behalf of the judge and make recommendations to the judge as to the dispositi ...

, and neutral evaluator.

Education

Allf received a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree from

Transylvania University Transylvania University is a private university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. It was founded in 1780 and is the oldest university in Kentucky. It offers 46 major programs, as well as dual-degree engineering programs, and is Higher educ ...

in 1979, and her

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

degree from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law at

Northern Kentucky University Northern Kentucky University is a public university in Highland Heights, Kentucky, United States. Established in 1968, it is the youngest of Kentucky's eight public universities. The university has seven constituent colleges in arts and science ...

in 1982.

Awards and honors

In 2024, Allf was honored with the Presidential Award by the State Bar of Nevada. "Given annually, the Presidential Award honors a State Bar of Nevada member who has practiced law for 20 years or more and whose conduct, honesty and integrity represent the highest standards of the legal profession. Recipients are those who inspire by example, advance the administration of justice and bring honor and integrity to the profession of law." In 2024, she received the Legal Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award from the Las Vegas Defense Lawyers. In 2023, she received the Liberty Bell Award from the Clark County Law Foundation. This award honors "individuals who uphold the rule of law, contribute to good government within the community, stimulate a sense of civic responsibility, and encourage respect for the law in the courts." In 2022, she received the Miriam Shearing Award from the Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys for her contributions to the advancement of women in the law. In 2022, she received the Bryan K. Scott Trailblazer Award from the State Bar of Nevada. In 2010, she was named Salmon P. Chase College of Law's Alumna of the Year. In 2005, the Women of Diversity Project named her among the 300 women who shaped the history of Las Vegas. In 2002, she received the Community Achievement Award from the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. In 2001, she received the President's Award, Distinguished Service Award, from the Clark County Bar Association. In 2000, she was honored as among Women of Distinction by the National Association of Women Business Owners. In 1999, she was awarded a Distinguished Alumni Award from Transylvania University. She has been recognized by the Clark County Pro Bono Project for public service to the community.

Positions and memberships

In 2007, she was president of the State Bar of Nevada. In 2002, Nevada's Supreme Court appointed Alff to the Pro Bono Compliance Committee. In 2000, she was president of the Board of Directors of the Clark County Law Foundation. In 2000, Nevada's Supreme Court appointed Allf to the Business Court Task Force. In 1999, she was president of the Clark County Bar Association. She was on the State Bar of Nevada's Board of Governors from 2000 to 2009. She was on the Board of Directors of the Clark County Law Foundation from 1994 to 2002. She was president of the board of directors of Planned Parenthood of Southern Nevada in 1992. She is a member of the American College of Business Court Judges. She was a Business Court Representative to the

's Business Law Section.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allf, Nancy L. Living people 20th-century American women judges 21st-century American women judges Allf, Nancy L. Salmon P. Chase College of Law alumni Mediation Committee archives Year of birth missing (living people)