About
Honorable James W. Hardesty, Ret.

The Honorable James W. Hardesty, was elected to the Nevada Supreme Court in November 2004 and was re-elected to the Court without opposition in 2010 and 2016. He served as Chief Justice in 2009, 2015, 2021, and concluded his
24-year judicial career as Chief Justice in 2022. In 1998 he was elected to serve as a District Court Judge for the Second Judicial District Court of Washoe County, Nevada and served as Chief Judge of the District Court from 2001 to 2004. In 2003, he was elected to serve as the President of the Nevada District Judges Association. Former Chief Justice Hardesty obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1970 and a Juris Doctorate Law Degree in 1975 from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. He was admitted to the practice of law in Nevada in 1975.
Judicial
Pre-Judicial Employment
Education
2005-2022
Justice, Nevada Supreme Court
Served as Chief Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court, 2009, 2015, 2021 and concluded his career as Chief Justice in December of 2022
2009-2023
National Judicial Offices
Treasurer, American Judges Association 2020-2023
Second Vice-President and Board of Directors of the Conference of Chief Justices 2015-2016
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Chairperson of the Nevada State-Federal Judicial Council 2009-2011 and 2014-2016
2007-2022
Nevada Supreme Court Commissions
Supreme Court Executive Committee 2007-2010, 2014-2016, and 2019-2022
Co-Chairperson of the Access to Justice Commission 2007-2022
Co-Chairperson of the Bench-Bar Committee
2007-2022
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Co-Chairperson of the Juvenile Justice Reform Commission 2010-2014
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Chairperson of the Guardianship Reform Commission and the Committee to Study Evidence-Based Pretrial Release 2011-2018
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Chaired Commission on Statewide Rules of Criminal Procedure 2016-2020
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Co-Chaired the Commission to Study Best Practices for Virtual Advocacy in Nevada's Courts; Co-Chaired the Commission to Study the Adjudication of Water Law Cases 2021-2022
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Chaired the Commission to Study Reforms to Nevada's Arbitration and Short Trial Rules 2021-2022
2010-2021
Legislatively Created Commissions
Chaired the Advisory Commission on the Administration of Justice 2010-2014
Chaired the Nevada Sentencing Commission
2017-2021
1999-2004
Judge, Second Judicial District Court
Served as Chief Judge of the District Court 2002-2004
Served as President of the Nevada District Judges Association 2003
1994-1998
James W. Hardesty, Attorney at Law
1989-1994
Anderson, Pearl, Hardesty, Lyle and Murphy, Attorneys at Law
1985-1988
James W. Hardesty, Attorney at Law
1979-1984
Breen, Young, Whitehead, Belding and Hardesty, Attorneys at Law
1975-1978
James W. Hardesty, Attorney at Law
1970-1971
Semenza, Kottinger and McMullen, Certified Public Accountants
1971-1975
University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law
Juris Doctorate Degree
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Treasurer, Student Bar Association 1974-1975
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1966-1970
University of Nevada, Reno
Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting 1970
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Student Body President, Associated Students of University of Nevada 1969-1970
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Outstanding Senior Graduate, 1970