Ralph M. Crow

Ralph Mack Crow served as a young lieutenant in World War II, readying his platoon to attack a Japanese island when the war came to an end. Returning home from the war, he entered law school at the University of Missouri. Believing Nevada to be a fascinating legal frontier, he moved to the state in the 1960s and built a legal career there that spanned decades.

Over the course of that career, Crow became known for his continuous legal battles defending the underdog - taking on powerful corporations, high-powered legal firms, and even judges. He was often referred to as a Don Quixote, a rebel, and a rabble rouser. When he believed a person had been wrongfully abused or accused within the justice system, no amount of outside influence could dissuade him from doing battle, and a person's ability to pay was never a consideration.

Crow argued two precedent-setting cases during his Nevada practice - one on usury, Pease v. Taylor, and another on adoption involving the heiress to the Kennecott Mining fortune. Nevada state senator Bill Raggio, who had worked with him, remembered him as a solid contributor to the legal community in the state and a man deeply committed to any cause he undertook.