By John Mowbray
Dating back to the 1960s, Las Vegas was the only venue in the nation where a newly admitted lawyer could take the oath of office for admission late in the afternoon and then saddle up next to members of the Supreme Court of Nevada at sunset to lift a glass in an Old West iconic setting.
If you had the good fortune to have established residency by March 1 and, as a Las Vegas native, survived a grilling that you had never given up your residency during your college or law school years, and then successfully passed the annual bar exam given in July, your reward awaited at the Hines Ranch located in the desert west of town on a warm September evening thanks to Michael Hines. The entrance to the Hines Ranch was off Sahara Avenue, a few blocks west of Decatur.
Litigants put their pens down. Judges rested their gavels. All gathered for some great barbeque and the beverage of their choice to welcome the newest of our profession.
Michael Hines was a Notre Dame Law School classmate of my father, both of whom traveled west to Las Vegas in 1949 and decided to make it their home.
Mike and his wife Ingrid loved all animals, and horses in particular. In fact, Mike had an entry in the 1972 Kentucky Derby, which could be the subject of another article. Mike’s destiny was cut short at the age of 65 when he was bucked off a horse, leaving wife, Ingrid, and his four surviving boys: Michael, Patrick, Christopher, and Nicholas.
All of the Clark County Bar Association’s new admittee parties were held at the Hines Ranch from the 1960s through 1988, the last of which was hosted by CCBA president William Jansen.
Life was truly great in the desert.
About the author
A Las Vegas native, John H. Mowbray is a second-generation Nevada lawyer and past president of the State Bar of Nevada and the CCBA. With humble confidence, John has represented many of the leaders in business and industry who helped build Las Vegas into the internationally acclaimed entertainment and sports capital of the world.
About the article
© 2024 Clark County Bar Association (CCBA). All rights reserved. No reproduction of any portion of this issue is allowed without written permission from the publisher. Editorial policy available upon request.
This article was originally published in the Communiqué (June/July 2024), the official publication of the Clark County Bar Association. See https://clarkcountybar.org/about/member-benefits/communique-2024/communique-june-july-2024/.
The articles and advertisements appearing in Communiqué magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the CCBA, the CCBA Publications Committee, the editorial board, or the other authors. All legal and other issues discussed are not for the purpose of answering specific legal questions. Attorneys and others are strongly advised to independently research all issues.