Joseph M Foley

Joseph Michael Foley was a native Nevadan and longtime Las Vegas attorney whose career spanned more than half a century. Born January 31, 1924, in Goldfield, he was the fourth son of Roger T. Foley and the former Helen Drummond, and the family moved to Las Vegas when he was four. He graduated from Las Vegas High School in 1941 and served in the Army in North Africa during World War II. Returning home, he enrolled at the University of Nevada, Reno, from which he graduated, and in 1950 he earned his law degree from the University of San Francisco Law School before entering practice in Las Vegas.

Foley was a member of one of Southern Nevada's most influential legal families, joining his brothers at the Foley Bros. law firm before the siblings pursued their individual paths. He became widely known as Howard Hughes' gaming lawyer, representing Hughes in his mining and gaming interests - including the Frontier, Sands and Desert Inn - and appearing before state gaming regulators on behalf of Hughes' employees seeking key licenses. After Hughes' death, Foley represented the estate in successfully debunking the so-called 'Mormon Will' that had surfaced leaving part of the fortune to Melvin Dummar, a case later recounted in the film 'Melvin and Howard.' In 1984 he opened the firm Foley & Foley with his son Dan Foley, and though he took few cases in his final years he remained a consultant with his firm.

Beyond the courtroom, Foley was a dedicated public servant and civic leader. A Democrat, he served as regional coordinator for the presidential campaigns of John Kennedy in 1960 and Robert Kennedy in 1968. He was elected to the Nevada Board of Regents in 1984 and re-elected to a second six-year term in 1990, championing higher education and pressing for UNLV to be recognized as a respected center of learning. Known for speaking his mind and standing by his convictions even amid controversy, he continued to counsel his successors on the board after leaving office. Joseph M. Foley died of heart failure at his home on December 16, 2002, at the age of 78.