Nelle Price

Nelle Price was widely regarded as one of the first - if not the very first - female attorneys in Clark County, Nevada. Born January 25, 1914, in Columbus, Ohio, she was the daughter of Thomas D. Price, a judge of the Court of Common Pleas in that city. She came to Las Vegas in 1929 and was a member of Las Vegas High School's first graduating class in 1931, graduating with honors. She went on to attend the University of Nevada, Reno, and Ohio State University before earning a bachelor's of science degree from the University of Southern California in 1939 and a law degree there in 1946.

Price opened her general law practice in Las Vegas in 1947, near what was then the new Nevada State Bank on 4th Street. Early in her career she took on criminal cases, but she later specialized in family law, handling mostly divorces. Colleagues remembered her as both able and dedicated. Former federal judge Harry Claiborne, a longtime Las Vegas attorney, recalled that she was 'not only the first woman lawyer in Clark County, but she also was a real good attorney,' often seen working late into the night at her law office on 3rd Street. Her family described her as a fierce advocate for her clients, especially 'the little guy,' and a woman of high morals who would only represent clients she believed to be innocent.

In 1966, following in her father's judicial footsteps, Price ran for District Court judge. She retired from the legal profession in 1969 after 22 years of practice, citing health problems. She was the former wife of the late Las Vegas lawyer Roland Wiley, who served as Clark County district attorney from 1939 to 1942. Nelle Price died on June 26, 1998, at the age of 84.