Mark Handelsman

Mark Handelsman was a respected Nevada jurist whose legal career was rooted in the Reno community where he grew up. A graduate of Wooster High School in Reno, he earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, and received his law degree from the McGeorge School of Law in 1975. He was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada that same year, beginning a career in the law that would span more than two decades.

He was appointed a municipal court judge in 1985, and in 1990 was elected to the Second Judicial District Court, where he served from 1991 until his death. Re-elected to the district court bench in 1996, he was known throughout his tenure for his fairness, civility, and dedication to his work. His contributions to the bench were recognized with the Nevada Distinguished Jurist Award in 1988 and his selection as Judge of the Year in 1990.

Colleagues remembered Judge Handelsman for the dignity and humanity he brought to the courtroom, noting that he treated everyone as human beings and conducted his court in a gentlemanly fashion. He died suddenly in December 1996 at the age of forty-nine, and was survived by his daughter, Hilary Handelsman.