James H. Bilbray

James H. Bilbray was a lifelong Las Vegan whose legal career spanned more than five decades in Nevada. A graduate of Las Vegas High School, he earned his bachelor's degree from American University in Washington, D.C., where he had served as UNLV student body president and founded the UNLV Alumni Association, becoming its first president. He received his law degree from Washington College of Law in 1964 and was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada in 1965, beginning a life of law and public service. He also served in the Nevada Army National Guard and the Army Reserve.

Over his career Bilbray combined the practice of law with sustained public service. He was a member of the Nevada university system Board of Regents from 1968 to 1972 and served in the Nevada State Senate from 1980 to 1986. In 1986 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Nevada's 1st Congressional District, succeeding Harry Reid, and he served four terms in Congress from 1987 to 1995. He remained active in national public life thereafter, serving on the Base Realignment and Closure Commission and on the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors.

Throughout his years in and out of elected office, Bilbray continued his connection to the legal profession, serving of counsel at the Nevada law firm Kaempfer Crowell. He died on September 19, 2021, at the age of 83, remembered as a dedicated public servant and attorney whose work helped shape Nevada's civic and legal community.