Nevada Judiciary

The Nevada Commission on Judicial Selection will accept applications from qualified Nevada attorneys until September 14, 2012, to fill the seat on the Second Judicial District Court that will become vacant with the retirement of Judge Steven Kosach, Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Cherry announced.

Judge Kosach, who has served on the District Court bench in Washoe County since 1991, will retire on September 10, 2012.  He has served on the District Court longer than just two other judges.

A University of Nevada, Reno baseball star and decorated Vietnam War hero, Judge Kosach graduated from McGeorge School of Law in 1972 and began his legal career at the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.  He joined the Reno City Attorney’s Office in 1975 and a year later went into private practice, specializing in civil litigation. 

In 1995, Judge Kosach served as presiding judge of the Second Judicial District Court.

In his announcement letter to Governor Brian Sandoval, Judge Kosach stated: “It is time for me to begin a new chapter in my life.  My plan is not to retire in the classic sense, but to give back to my profession as a Senior Judge, private mediator and arbitrator.”

“It has always been my focus to maintain the honor for which the people of Washoe County and the State of Nevada have entrusted to me and to give each and every party the respect they deserve when appealing in my court,” Judge Kosach stated.  “I am proud of my judicial career.”

The appointment process to fill the Department 8 vacancy is open to all Nevada attorneys with 10 years of legal experience, two of those in Nevada. 

Applications for the vacancy must be submitted to the Commission by 5 p.m. on September 14, 2012.  Applications must be submitted in hard copy to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC).  Applications may be submitted to the AOC in Carson City or Las Vegas according to application instructions.  The application for this vacancy is available on the Supreme Court website at: http://www.nevadajudiciary.us/index.php/viewdocumentsandforms/Commission-Files/Commission-on-Judicial-Selection/. 

The public will be able to view the applications, with the exceptions of medical records and personal identification information, on the Supreme Court website.  Also remaining confidential will be the letters of comment solicited about the candidates along with letters of reference to ensure the authors can be candid.

After all applications are submitted, the Commission will conduct background investigations and interview each of the applicants.  The Commission will then deliberate and nominate three finalists, whose names will be submitted to Governor Brian Sandoval for the appointment.

Interviews are tentatively scheduled for October 31 and November 1, in Reno.

As has been the rule since 2007, the Commission’s interviews will be open to the public.

After receiving the names of the three finalists, no time limit exists for the Governor to make his appointment.  However, if an appointment is not made within 30 days following submission of names by the Commission, the Governor may make no other appointments to public office.

The Commission on Judicial Selection is composed of seven permanent members – the Supreme Court Chief Justice, three non-attorneys appointed by the Governor and three attorneys appointed by the State Bar of Nevada.  Neither the Governor nor the Bar may appoint more than two permanent members from the same political party, and cannot appoint two members from the same county.