Robert A. Monks

Robert A. Monks, of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Galveston, Texas, was born July 2, 1949, in New York, New York, and passed away March 23, 2011, at the age of 61. He devoted his legal career to serving people of limited means. Through Volunteers in Service To America (VISTA), he helped establish Gulf Coast Legal Aid, the first legal aid society in Galveston County, Texas, and later opened his own practice, where for the next 25 years he worked to provide premier legal service to clients of modest resources.

Mr. Monks moved to Las Vegas in September 2008. He took and passed the Nevada Bar at the age of 59 and was admitted to practice, opening an office handling criminal cases. He was also licensed as a foreclosure mediator by the Supreme Court of Nevada, and he volunteered with the United States Veterans' Initiative, U.S. Vets, providing free legal advice to veterans.

Throughout his practice - both on his own and in partnership - Mr. Monks was remembered for a lifelong commitment to expanding access to justice for those who might otherwise have gone without legal representation.