Nevada Judiciary

Chief Justice Nancy M. Saitta was elected to the Supreme Court in 2006. Chief Justice Saitta began her judicial career a decade earlier when she was appointed as a Las Vegas Municipal Court Judge in October, 1996. Two years later, she was elected a judge at the Eighth Judicial District Court.

At the Supreme Court, she is chair of the Judicial Public Information Committee and co-chair of the Commission on Statewide Juvenile Justice Reform.  Chief Justice Saitta also chairs the Nevada Court Improvement Program, which seeks improvements in services to children and families in the child welfare system.  In 2009, Chief Justice Saitta was chosen as one of 40 emerging state leaders for the prestigious Toll Fellowship Program sponsored by the Council of State Governments (CSG).  She recently was chosen to serve on the CSG National Governance Working Group, which is examining the organizational structure of the Council.

 As chair of the Judicial Public Information Committee, Chief Justice Saitta was instrumental in expanding Law Day activities in Nevada, including the creation of Law Day Live, an annual high-tech, interactive Internet forum that links courthouses through video technology and allows public participation through social media.

Prior to taking the bench, she was a senior deputy attorney general where she served as the Children’s Advocate for the State of Nevada. Her commitment to children continued after she left that office. As a district judge, Chief Justice Saitta was appointed by then-Governor Kenny Guinn to the Nevada State Juvenile Justice Commission. Her efforts have won her recognition, including the "For the Children" award presented by the Office of the Attorney General in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Nevada’s children, the District Attorney Outstanding Service Award, and the Child Advocate of the Year (2001)In 2000, she was given an Angels in Adoption award (2000) by the U.S. Congress. In 2005, she was named one of the Top 500 Judges in America by Law Dragon publication.

While a district judge, she created the specialized Complex Litigation Division for case management of construction defect and other voluminous cases. The latter received national recognition as one of the top programs in the country in 2003 from the National Association of Counties. She also was a presenter to the Brookings Institution regarding judicial training on complex case litigation.  Chief Justice Saitta created the Professional Summit, which conducts annual statewide conferences.

Chief Justice Saitta graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree, Magna Cum Laude in 1983 from Wayne State University where she also earned her law degree in 1986.

In addition to being an attorney and judge, Chief Justice Saitta has embraced a role as a teacher throughout much of her adult life. She taught at Wayne State University in the Department of Criminal Justice and taught litigation courses at the American Institute for Paralegal Studies. Chief Justice Saitta has been a keynote speaker and faculty member at several national conferences.

A member of the Clark County Public Education Foundation, Chief Justice Saitta is married and has four children and four grandchildren. Her term ends in 2013.