Myron E. Leavitt
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He was the Lieutenant Governor of Nevada
Lieutenant Governor of Nevada
The Nevada Lieutenant Governor is an elected office in the U.S. state of Nevada. The Nevada Lieutenant Governor is based in Carson City, Nevada and elected for 4 year terms. The 33rd and current Lt. Governor for the 2007-2011 term is Brian Krolicki....
from 1979 to 1983. He was a native of Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, and served in many political positions, including the Clark County Commission from 1971 to 1974, and the Las Vegas City Council from 1975 to 1978. He was a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
Leavitt was born in 1930 in Las Vegas to Myron 'Mike' Leavitt, a county highway department worker, and his wife Estella, a maid. Following graduation from Las Vegas High School in 1948, Myron E. Leavitt won an athletics scholarship to the University of Nevada, Reno
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
.
Graduating from UNR with a degree in journalism, Leavitt returned to Las Vegas, where he worked as sports editor for the Las Vegas Review-Journal
Las Vegas Review-Journal
The Las Vegas Review-Journal is published in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada, and one of two daily newspapers in Las Vegas . It is the flagship publication of Stephens Media LLC...
. With the encouragement of his brother, Leavitt entered the University of Utah College of Law, where he graduated in 1956, eighth in his class. He returned to Las Vegas, where he entered private practice.
Leavitt subsequently served as Justice of the Peace, Clark County Commissioner (as had his father), Las Vegas City Commissioner, and ultimately as the state's Lieutenant Governor.
Following his term as Lt Governor, then-Governor Richard Bryan
Richard Bryan
Richard Hudson "Dick" Bryan is an American politician. He served as the 25th Governor of the U.S. state of Nevada from 1983 to 1989. He is a former United States Senator from Nevada. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life:...
appointed Myron to the District Court in 1984, where Leavitt served until being elected to the Nevada Supreme Court in 1998, a position to which he was reelected in 2000, and was holding at the time of his death in 2004.
Leavitt had earlier run for the State Supreme Court twice (1988 and 1994) but failed to get elected. He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1982.
As an attorney in private practice for 28 years, Leavitt successfully argued a case that ultimately forced the Nevada Legislature
Nevada Legislature
The Nevada Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Legislature is a bicameral body, consisting of the lower house Nevada Assembly, with 42 members, and the upper house Nevada Senate, with 21 members. All 63 members of the Legislature are elected from an equal amount of...
to reapportion itself according to population. He also argued the case that forced the Board of Regents at the University of Nevada
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
to reapportion itself.
The Justice Myron E. Leavitt Middle School in Las Vegas was named in honor of the Supreme Court Justice in March, 2002.