ABOUT BRUCE
BACKGROUND
Bruce has lived and worked in Washoe County for over 28 years. Bruce worked full time as an insurance adjuster while attending McGeorge School of Law’s year-round evening program. He is the first and only attorney in his family. He and his wife Karen live in Reno and have four grown children.
LEGAL PRACTICE EXPERIENCE
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Judge Pro Tempore: Sparks Municipal Court 2022- present
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Assistant Bar Counsel: State Bar of Nevada 2020 – present
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Assistant District Attorney: Washoe County District Attorney 2015 – 2020
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Chief Deputy District Attorney: Washoe County District Attorney 2008 - 2015
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Deputy District Attorney: Washoe County District Attorney 1994 – 2008
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Associate Attorney: Hanna, Brophy, MacLean, McAleer & Jensen 1993 – 1994
26 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE LEADERSHIP
Bruce started his legal career defending employers and insurance carriers in Workers' Compensation matters. He thereafter served with the Washoe County District Attorney's Office for 26 years. For his first 14 years, he served as a felony-level trial deputy. In this capacity, many of those years he served as a deputy on the Major Violators Unit. There, he successfully prosecuted some of the office's most serious felony cases including Murder, Sexual Assault and Repeat Offender matters. He also served as a Special Prosecutor for outlying rural counties.
As a case-load carrying supervisor for the next 6 years, Bruce then served as a Team Chief on a general felony team and later, the Domestic Violence Protection Team. In this unit, he successfully prosecuted numerous cases of Murder, Child Sexual Assault, Child Abuse and Domestic Violence. As a Trial Deputy and Supervisor handling homicides, he routinely attended homicide scenes, autopsies and assisted in facilitating search warrant and seizure order applications before the Justice Courts. He served as sole or lead counsel in approximately 50 jury trials. His jury trial success rate and affirmation on appeal rate was approximately 90%.
As an Administrator for his next 5 years, he served as the Criminal Division Chief. He supervised 6 Team Chiefs, the office's first Diversion Court Unit and led the office's first Conviction Integrity Unit until 2020.
He currently serves as Assistant Bar Counsel for the State Bar of Nevada. He reviews grievances against lawyers, enforces the Nevada Rules of Professional Conduct and provides ethics guidance to lawyers statewide.
Locally, Bruce has served the University of Nevada Reno as an adjunct professor and head coach of the Mock Trial Competition Team from 2010-2015. He has served as a guest speaker for TMCC and local high schools on criminal law topics. He was an instructor in Search and Seizure law for the Northern Nevada Law Enforcement Academy and High Sierra Academy for 20 years.
Nationally, Bruce served as a panelist for the FBI CODIS conference, a presenter for the National Association of Extradition Officials and guest faculty for the National College of District Attorneys. Most recently, Bruce has presented for the National Organization of Bar Counsel on lawyer ethics.
EDUCATOR
STATE COMMISSION SERVICE
For 7 years, Bruce served as Northern Nevada’s attorney member on a seven-member panel consisting of two judges, three lay members and two attorney members. This panel screened and oversaw formal disciplinary proceedings brought against Justice Court and District Court judges for reported ethics violations.
VOLUNTEER SERVICE
Bruce is an active volunteer in High School Mock Trial. For many years, he has served as a
Scoring Judge and later as a Presiding Judge at the Regional, State and National
Championship levels. In February and March 2022, Bruce served as a presiding judge at the Regional competition and presided in 3 of 5 rounds at the State competition.
He has served as a member of the Northern Nevada Disciplinary Board for over 7 years as an Attorney Panelist, Panel Chair, Vice-Chair and Board Chair. He oversaw disciplinary proceedings brought against attorneys. He ruled on motions, evidentiary objections and signed orders on behalf of the disciplinary panels.
Bruce served several years on the State Bar Board of Governors as a Washoe County
representative assisting in formulating State Bar policy. He served as a member of the Continuing Legal Education committee. He also served as a Transition in Practice mentor for newly admitted lawyers in legal practice basics.