Donald Kirkpatrick Pope

Donald Kirkpatrick Pope was born in Lakeport, California, on December 18, 1945. He graduated from Stanford University in 1968 with an honors degree in Economics, and in 1973 he earned his law degree from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco. After graduation he became a VISTA Volunteer and moved to Reno, where he was one of the founding staff attorneys - and later the Director - of Nevada Indian Legal Services.

While at Nevada Indian Legal Services, Don helped write the Tribal Law & Order Codes for the Nevada reservations, beginning a long association with the Tribes of Nevada. In 1976 he opened a private practice focusing on Tribal law, real estate, family law, and criminal law.

In 1984, encouraged by his peers to enter judicial politics, Don won election and served as a Judge in the Reno Justice Court from 1985 to 1993, after which he returned to private practice. He passed away on May 6, 2012.