On Monday, April 30, elections began for the 2012-2013 State Bar of Nevada Board of Governors. Elections division is by district - bar members vote only for those candidates located in the same district. District 1 (Clark County) has a contested election to fill four seats. There are no vacancies for District 2 (rural counties) or District 3 (Carson City).

The bar congratulates Ann Morgan, the incoming Board of Governors member for District 4 (Washoe County). Morgan was uncontested for the District 4 election.

Bar members with addresses located in District 1 (Clark County) may select from eight candidates to fill the four open seats for the district. Clark County members received ballots via e-mail this past Monday. If you did not receive your ballot and you wish to vote, please contact Gale Skala at gales@nvbar.org or call (702) 382-2200.

For a complete list of candidates, including biographical information and personal statements, please visit the state bar's Elections Webpage.

Attorneys who help support Nevada pro bono agencies by taking pro bono cases can earn raffle entries to win a nine-foot surfboard created by Hobie Surfboards' Terry Martin. The surfboard will feature the signatures of Nevada justices and judges. The drawing will take place at the 2012 State Bar of Nevada Annual Meeting.

Get started earning those tickets now by contacting an area pro bono provider. Clark County residents can contact Melanie Kushnir at mkushnir@lacsn.org or (702) 386-1070, ext. 137. For Washoe County, contact Heidi Meek at hmeek@washoelegalservices.org or (775) 785-5729. In rural Nevada, contact Renee Kelly at  rkelly@nlslaw.net or (775) 284-3491, ext. 218. Those in rural Nevada may also get in touch with Casey Sanders at csanders@varn.org or (775) 883-8278.

Learn more about Access to Justice and Nevada pro bono agencies by attending their breakout session during this year's Annual Meeting in Coronado, California at the Hotel del Coronado. The meeting takes place June 28-30. For more information and to register for the Annual Meeting, visit the state bar's website.

Samuel Lionel and Irwin Molasky are the recipients of the 2012 Liberty Bell award. The award ceremony will take place in conjunction with the rededication of the Las Vegas Liberty Bell, on Friday, May 4, from 3 to 4 p.m., in Centennial Park.

In 2005, Molasky and Lionel founded Project REAL in an effort to teach Nevada students the importance of the law and its contribution to the American way of life. Project REAL educates K-12 students about the principles of democracy, law and the responsibilities of citizenship. Through a variety of programs, students are able to explore our judicial system, examine current controversial issues and become citizens who understand both their social responsibilities and rights.

Since 1983, the Annual Liberty Bell Award, a partnership between the Clark County Law Foundation's Let Freedom Ring Committee and the City of Las Vegas, has honored community leaders who promote a greater respect for government and the rule of law. For more information on the Clark County Law Foundation or the Liberty Bell Awards, contact Jade Deitrick at (702) 333-8277 or Director@ClarkCountyLawFoundation.org.

On Friday, April 21 volunteer Nevada attorneys visited students in their classrooms in honor of Law Day. The State Bar of Nevada's Law Related Education department and Nevada educators offer their sincere thanks to the participants for their stories, ideas and interactions with the students. Many of the students told their teachers that they will consider careers in the law because of what they learned from the Law Day visits.

The Law Related Education (LRE) Department of the State Bar of Nevada always needs attorney volunteers. Visit the state bar's website for a look at its LRE programs and to find out how to participate.

The Las Vegas Justice Court is offering free, one-hour training sessions on its electronic filing system. Sessions will take place at the Clark County Government Center, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway, Room 1145. The first session is set for May 31 and the second June 21; both classes will run from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Those interested in attending one of these sessions should send an e-mail to berna@clarkcountycourts.us including the attendee's name, address, law firm or company name and the date of the preferred session. There will be just 50 participants per session, so reserve early!

The Reno Police Department is giving away a full set of empty Nevada Revised Statutes binders. These are the NRS binders only and do not include the written materials. (The written materials can be purchased from the Legislature).

If you are in the Reno area and are interested in obtaining some of these binders, please contact Reno P.D. Administrative Services Manager, Bridget Pincolini at  Pincolini@reno.gov or (775) 334-3848.

The Las Vegas Municipal Court is now operating on a four-day work week. The municipal court is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed on Fridays. Traffic tickets can still be paid online on Fridays and emergency services such as pre-trial services will remain open.

To compensate for the reduction, more service windows will be open at the court Monday through Thursday.