By Chief Judge Bonnie Bulla
Change is not an event, it’s a process. ~ Cheryl James, musician
As the Nevada Court of Appeals moves forward into its next decade, we are embracing positive changes in our court. I am honored to serve as chief judge, during this time of transition, and excited to share some of those changes. During the calendar year of 2024, our court resolved 708 appeals. The time to disposition, or the time to resolve an appeal after transfer from the Supreme Court of Nevada, varied depending on the type of case. Approximately 72 percent of civil appeals, 98 percent of criminal appeals, and 82 percent of original (writ) proceedings were resolved within six months of transfer. By implementing certain changes, we hope to continue improving on our time to disposition.
Changes in the structure of the court of appeals
Recently, we began making some significant changes to our court structure. We hired a division director, responsible for managing central staff attorneys and coordinating staff assignments, to increase efficiency. We also hired, and plan on continuing to hire, additional staff attorneys to increase productivity and further reduce the time to disposition. To do this, the judges have given up their permanent judicial chambers’ attorneys, and one of their two chambers’ law clerks. To bridge the gap created by these changes, each judge’s chamber has been assigned an experienced central staff attorney to assist in handling cases assigned to chambers. The judges also have a dedicated administrative assistant for support.
Key changes in the Nevada Rules of Appellate Procedure (NRAP) affecting the court of appeals
NRAP 17 governs the assignment of cases to the court of appeals. Changes to this rule include presumptive assignment of tort cases, where damages are between $1 and $250,000, and cases involving contract disputes up to $150,000. The routing statement also now permits parties to request where their cases will be assigned, if applicable. Significantly, Nevada Court of Appeals cases filed on or after August 15, 2024, may now be cited for persuasive authority, and the grant of a petition for review by the Supreme Court of Nevada no longer automatically vacates a decision by our court.
While the Nevada Court of Appeals embraces the process of change, we remain committed to expeditiously resolving appeals and providing thoughtful and thorough appellate review.
About the author
Chief Judge Bonnie Bulla has served on the Nevada Court of Appeals since 2019. She previously served as the Discovery Commissioner for the Eighth Judicial District Court for 12 years and, before that, was in private practice as a civil litigator for 19 years.
About the article
This article was originally published in the Communiqué (Apr. 2025), the official publication of the Clark County Bar Association. See https://clarkcountybar.org/about/member-benefits/communique-2025/communique-apr-2025/. The printed magazine was mailed to CCBA members on March 28, 2025.
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.
© 2025 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.