Eighth Judicial District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt is seeking a fifth term on the bench. She faces a challenge from Clark County public defender Dan Gillium. The two candidates are vying for a position that presides over both criminal and civil cases in the Eighth Judicial District.
Judge Leavitt, a graduate of the University of Las Vegas, Nevada in 1987, earned her law degree from California Western School in 1994. As a district court judge, she is responsible for a wide array of cases. In an interview with Our Nevada Judges, Leavitt stated that she typically presides over the most serious criminal offenses, including those involving homicide. According to Our Nevada Judges, her error rate for civil cases, which represents overturned decisions, stands at 39.24%. For criminal cases, her error rate is 12.47%. Leavitt received a 74.2% retention rating from attorneys who participated in the Las Vegas Review-Journal Judging the Judges 2025 survey. This rating indicates the percentage of legal professionals who affirmed she should remain on the bench. Among the significant cases she has handled is the 2022 murder of local journalist Jeff German by former elected Clark County official Robert Telles.
Her challenger, Dan Gillium, has worked in the Clark County Public Defender’s office since 2021. Gillium attended Ohio State University, where he received his undergraduate degree in education in 1996, followed by his law degree in 2004. He previously served in the Clark County Public Defender’s office from 2005 to 2007. Following this, Gillium left to practice as an assistant city attorney in the City of Henderson, where his work primarily involved misdemeanor cases. In that role, Gillium also assisted in training new Henderson Police Department recruits on search and seizure laws and probable cause requirements, as he stated in an interview with Vegas Legal Magazine. In 2014, he departed from the City of Henderson to establish his own practice, the Gilliam Law Group. His law firm later merged with the multi-jurisdictional firm Bighorn Law in 2018, where he currently handles criminal defense cases. Gillium previously ran for Eighth Judicial District Court Judge Department 24 in the 2020 general election, advancing from the primary but ultimately being unsuccessful.
Campaign finance disclosures for the period up to July show differences in fundraising between the two candidates. Gillium reported contributions totaling $15,000, with $6,200 on hand. His largest contributors, each donating the maximum contribution of $10,000, were his own law firm and Jacqueline Bretell, who shares the same address as his law firm, according to financial disclosures. For the same reporting period, Judge Leavitt reported raising more than $91,000 and had approximately $131,000 on hand. Her largest donors, each contributing the maximum of $10,000, included the Hutchinson & Steffen law firm, the Eglet Adams law firm, the Sahara Center, and Senior Vice President and General Manager of Boyd Gaming John Sou.
Judge Leavitt has secured endorsements from several labor unions, including SEIU Local 1107, Bartenders Local 165, and Culinary Workers Union Local 226. Additionally, she has received endorsements from various law enforcement organizations, such as the Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers, the Washoe County Sheriff Deputies Association, and the Las Vegas Peace Officers Association. Gillium did not list any endorsements on his campaign website.
Beyond her courtroom duties, Leavitt regularly volunteers to handle overflow cases and has assisted municipal courts in establishing misdemeanor jury trials, according to an interview with Our Nevada Judges. She also serves as a member of the Criminal Task Force of the Judicial Assessment Commission, the Education Commission of the Nevada Judges Association, and the Supreme Court’s Mandatory Sentencing Review Commission. Gillium was previously involved with the Clark County Law Foundation’s Trial By Peers program, an initiative that allowed first-time juvenile offenders charged with misdemeanors to be tried, defended, and sentenced by their peers. However, this teen court model transitioned to a restorative justice model under state law in 2021.
On his campaign website, Gillium has outlined his main priorities as equal justice for all, accessibility to justice, and transparency and efficiency within the legal system. Judge Leavitt, in her interview with Our Nevada Judges, emphasized that her extensive years on the bench and lengthy career have provided her with a broad range of experience across all legal aspects, from civil to criminal to water law. She stated her commitment to continued education and expanding her knowledge of case law, and underscored the importance of moving cases through the court system in a timely manner while simultaneously protecting the defendant’s constitutional rights. Neither candidate responded to Nevada Current’s interview requests.
