Ceremony honors women on Clark County bench

As part of the largest group of women who recently joined the Clark County District Court bench, Veronica Barisich was among four judges honored during a special swearing-in ceremony Wednesday.

“Becoming an attorney was a goal, becoming a judge was a dream,” she said. “It is the honor of my life to serve as a judge.”

One by one, the judges who first assumed their positions in January formally took an oath at North Las Vegas City Hall to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution and the law of the state of Nevada.

After a presentation of colors from Clark High School’s color guard and a performance of “America the Beautiful,” the judges were ceremonially robed in front of family, friends and colleagues.

District Court Chief Judge Linda Marie Bell said the silver lining of the delayed event was that she got to know some of the judges better beforehand.

“It’s been an interesting time to be on the court; it’s been an interesting time to be a new judge on the court, very challenging,” she said. “But they did not let the pandemic slow them down at all.”

Since taking the bench in January, Bell said, the new judges have processed more than 2,000 orders, signed 120 search warrants, and overseen 30 settlement conferences and 37 trials.

“Welcome, formally, to the court,” she said. “We’re happy to have you.”

There were 22 new Clark County judges elected last year. Women dominated the elections despite there being two more women than men on the District Court bench before the election. Now, 24 out of the 32 departments, or 75 percent, are run by women. More than half of the state’s District Court judges are women.

It’s also the first time in Nevada history that more women than men are at the helm of the state’s Supreme Court.

The 8th Judicial District Court ceremony Thursday was for Barisich, Department 5; District Judge Nadia Krall, Department 4, Family Judge Amy Mastin, Department M, and Family Judge Jessica Peterson, Department 8.

Barisich said it was only fitting that she was joined by the retired Nevada Supreme Court Justice Michael Cherry, who also swore her in when she became an attorney.

Krall, who formerly ran a personal injury law practice, was part of the Boyd School of Law’s first graduating class.

“I serve one person, and that’s Lady Justice,” she said. “I will lay at her feet and do justice for the state of Nevada and for Clark County.”

Mastin was honored for her work as a hearing master in domestic violence court and clerking for Senior Judge Gerald Hardcastle.

Peterson, a former junior partner at the Flangas Law Firm, said she grew up wanting to be Wonder Woman.

“While I may not get to be Wonder Woman, as a judge I get to be pretty close,” she said. “I get to assist litigants and attorneys every day in their fight for justice, and I get to wear a cape, too.”

The second of the two ceremonies will be held Thursday for judges Tara Clark Newberry, Margaret Pickard and Bita Yeager.

Contact Briana Erickson at berickson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5244. Follow @ByBrianaE on Twitter.