J. Forest Cahlan

J. Forest "Frosty" Cahlan was a fourth-generation Nevadan and a fixture of the state's legal community. Born in Las Vegas on April 30, 1934, he was the son of Al Cahlan, a co-owner of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and an early Las Vegas civic leader. He graduated from Las Vegas High School in 1952 and earned his law degree from the University of Arizona in 1960, before being admitted to the Nevada bar in 1961.

Over a career that spanned decades, Cahlan served in a range of public and private legal roles across southern Nevada. He served as City Attorney for Boulder City and, beginning in 1985, as a Deputy District Attorney for Nye County. He built a private law practice in Pahrump, where he later practiced alongside his son John.

Beyond his formal duties, Cahlan was known for a commitment to service that colleagues said transcended financial gain, providing pro bono legal work for Pahrump's arts council and senior center. A fellow attorney remembered him as "a stalwart in the legal profession out here." He died of cancer on March 15, 2008, at the age of 73.