James Michael Bartley

James Michael Bartley was the son of an Illinois judge, James Vernon Bartley, who presided over the 8th Circuit Court in Joliet for 18 years. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Illinois in 1943 and his law degree there in 1948, and was a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve. Bartley practiced law in Joliet from 1948 to 1964 before moving to Las Vegas, where he would spend the remainder of his long legal career.

After relocating to Nevada, Bartley served as a law clerk in the criminal division of the Clark County district attorney's office and as a Las Vegas deputy city attorney until 1968, then as county counsel in the DA's office from 1968 to 1971. He was a partner in the firm of Franklin & Bartley from 1971 to 1973, rejoined the district attorney's office in the civil division in 1978, and rose to the rank of chief civil deputy district attorney in 1979. In 1988, at age 67, he accepted the Clark County Commission's appointment to the bench as a Las Vegas justice of the peace, a post he held until 1990. Commissioner Manny Cortez, in appointing him, noted that Bartley had 'empathy and feeling for the little guy,' and he was heralded as a champion of ordinary people.

Bartley was a member of the Nevada State Bar, serving on its ethics committee, as well as the Clark County Bar Association, the Nevada District Attorneys' Association, and the Illinois state bar. Away from the law, he was an avid fisherman who also enjoyed hiking and four-wheeling. He is survived by two sons, James Bartley and Peter Bartley; two daughters, Sara Bartley and Mary Maka; a sister, Mary Draper; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.