Judge Michelle Leavitt Seeks a Fifth Term in Department 12, Against Public Defender Dan Gilliam
Eighth Judicial District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt, on the bench since 2002, faces Clark County public defender Dan Gilliam on Tuesday's ballot — a race drawing on her homicide-heavy docket, her reversal rates and a 74.2 percent retention score in the lawyers' survey.
One of the most experienced judges on the Clark County ballot is asking voters for a fifth term. Eighth Judicial District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt, who hears criminal and civil cases in Department 12 — including, she has said, the most serious criminal offenses, among them homicide — faces a challenge from Clark County public defender Dan Gilliam, the Nevada Current reported. Former Gov. Kenny Guinn appointed Leavitt to the department in 2002, after the Las Vegas City Council had appointed her to a Municipal Court vacancy she was then re-elected to twice.
The numbers in the race cut both ways. According to Our Nevada Judges, Leavitt's error rate — the share of her decisions overturned — is 39.24 percent in civil cases and 12.47 percent in criminal cases. In the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Judging the Judges 2025 survey, 74.2 percent of participating attorneys said she should stay on the bench, and she carries endorsements from SEIU Local 1107, Bartenders Local 165 and Culinary Workers Union Local 226. The Review-Journal's editorial board recommended Leavitt, citing her deep community ties and experience.
Gilliam listed no endorsements on his campaign website, according to the Current; his stated priorities are equal justice for all, accessibility to justice, and transparency and efficiency. Neither candidate responded to the Current's interview requests, so its account draws on earlier interviews, financial disclosures and campaign websites. Department 12 is one of ten contested District Court races on the November ballot, and the winner takes a six-year term on the court that handles Clark County's felony and civil trials.
