John A Flangas

John Alexander Flangas was a proud native Nevadan, born August 9, 1928, in Ely, where he and his three brothers were raised helping their parents build and operate the family's motels. He enlisted in the Army at 16 and served as a paratrooper in the 11th Airborne Division, spending 18 months in Japan following World War II. After his military service, he attended the University of Nevada, where he played football, and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in journalism from American University in Washington, D.C., in 1957, working for a time as a sports reporter for the San Francisco Examiner and becoming a member of the National Press Club.

Mr. Flangas pursued his legal education at American University's law school in Washington, D.C., where he also worked at the Capitol and, taking a year away from his studies, contributed to John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign. Following graduation, he returned to Nevada and clerked for the Honorable Bruce Thompson in the U.S. District Court in Reno before beginning a long career at the bar.

A longtime member of the Nevada Bar, Mr. Flangas was a trial lawyer who first served as a Deputy Attorney General for the State of Nevada under both Democratic and Republican governors, and then maintained his own private practice for more than 30 years. He tried cases before judges in every county in the State of Nevada and in the federal courts in Reno and Las Vegas. While representing the State of Nevada, he worked alongside John Roberts - now Chief Justice of the United States - on a successful brief to the U.S. Supreme Court. Known for his respect for the law and his warm regard for the court clerks he met throughout the state, he was remembered as an honest and skilled advocate. He died on January 14, 2021, at the age of 92.