The Southern Nevada Senior Law Program was founded in 1978 with a grant under Title III of the Older Americans Act. Originally sponsored by the City of Las Vegas, the Southern Nevada Senior Law Program is now a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Tax ID #453662698). We are partially funded by grants from the Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division, State Bar of Nevada Foundation, and Bank of Nevada. For over 40 years, we have had the pleasure of providing no-cost legal services to more than 125,000 seniors living in Southern Nevada.
Since 1978, we have been providing no-cost, quality legal services to residents who are 60 years of age and older. The cornerstone of our mission is our clients’ honor, dignity, and the no-cost exercise of individual initiative in planning and managing their own lives.
Over the years, the Southern Nevada Senior Law Program has expanded its scope of service delivery and staff and always strives to meet the growing demand from Nevada’s senior population. Group legal clinics on a variety of topics and individual appointments with an attorney are available in our office. In addition we provide community outreach to bring these valuable services to vulnerable seniors.
Southern Nevada Senior Law Program (SLP) is extremely proud to be recognized and honored by the Justices of the Supreme Court of the State of Nevada in 2022, on its tenth anniversary, as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Empowering seniors through no-cost, quality legal services.
Ensure access to justice for seniors with the greatest economic and social needs.
Integrity – We help our clients receive their full due process with diligence in our work.
Respect – We value each client’s needs and seek solutions on their behalf.
Compassion – We take the time to listen and understand our clients’ challenges.
Excellence – We utilize our legal knowledge and skills to effectively advocate for our clients.
Diversity – We welcome the opportunity to serve seniors of all ethnic and social backgrounds.
Ret. Judge Betsy Kolkoski, Chair & Founder
Mariteresa Rivera-Rogers, Esq., Vice-Chair
Dr. Clevis Parker, Sr., Secretary
Candace Carlyon, Esq., Treasurer
Jeffry Dorocak, Esq., Board Member
Deanna Forbush, Esq., Board Member
Gregory Kamer, Esq., Board Member
Craig T. Lyman, Board Member
Micaela Rustia Moore, Esq., Board Member
Ret. Justice Miriam Shearing, Board Member & Founder
Bobby Gronauer, Board Member Emeritus
Dara J. Goldsmith, Esq., Pro Bono Counsel
Chair & Founder
Judge Betsy Kolkoski serves as the Chair of the Southern Nevada Senior Law Program and is a founding member of the Board of Directors.
Judge Kolkoski retired from the Las Vegas Municipal Court in 2011 where she was the first woman to serve as Chief Judge.
She was one of five women to graduate from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1971 and was appointed an Assistant City Solicitor for the City of Cincinnati in 1972 where she worked on diversity issues.
This included the opportunity to write an opinion for the city council that lead to the police and fire departments opening the hiring of women and also, to advance the inclusion of minorities in housing opportunities.
Later when in Aurora, Colorado, Judge Kolkoski represented several small businesses as well as children with disabilities. Additionally, she served as a hearing officer for a local school district and for the state of Colorado regarding the educational rights of children with disabilities.
After moving to Las Vegas in 1990, Judge Kolkoski served as a hearing officer for the Las Vegas Taxicab Authority and in 1993 was appointed by Governor Bob Miller and later reappointed by Governor Kenny Guinn as the Elder Rights Attorney for the Division for Aging Services, a position she held until her appointment to the bench in 2000 by the Las Vegas City Council.
As the Elder Rights Attorney, Judge Kolkoski served seniors through educational and legislative initiatives. She was the Executive in Charge of the production of three elder abuse training videos for law enforcement, and she served as the guardian of vulnerable seniors. In collaboration with Nevada Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa and others, Judge Kolkoski drafted legislation and provided testimony before the legislature to revise the elder abuse statute that for the first time included the crime of financial exploitation. All bills presented to the legislature were enacted.
Judge Kolkoski was honored to serve the people of Las Vegas as a judge for eleven years. The City of Las Vegas Municipal Court was a leader in specialized courts designed to reduce and eliminate various challenges for the community and the courts. Judge Kolkoski presided over the DUI that helped defendants recover from drug and alcohol abuse. During her tenure, the DUI court served the largest number of defendants at one time.
After retirement Judge Kolkoski was honored to serve the Henderson Municipal Court as a senior judge for two years.
Judge Kolkoski was born in Hamilton, Ohio, and moved to Waterloo, Ontario, Canada when she was sixteen years old where she lived for seven years. She graduated from Waterloo Lutheran University (now Wilfred Laurier University) in Waterloo in 1968.
Vice Chair
Upon joining Wright Stanish & Winckler in 2011, Mariteresa Rivera-Rogers brought to the firm an extraordinary depth and breadth of experience in the criminal justice system. She developed into a strong criminal defense lawyer through years of service as a Deputy Public Defender and at her own firm, Evans & Rivera-Rogers, a development that continues to make her one of southern Nevada’s highly regarded advocates.
Ms. Rivera-Rogers is fluent in Spanish, and both the federal and state courts recognize her as a certified court interpreter. Additionally, Nevada’s courts, including its Supreme Court, have repeatedly called on her services in the governance of court interpreters’ certification generally and inattention to language access to the courts. Her spirit of community and professional service has also led to involvement with the Clark County Bar Association (board member), Latino Bar Association (former board member), the Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys (former board member), the Clark County Law Foundation and Community Service Committee (member), and the Nevada Supreme Court Task Force on Racial and Economic Bias (former member).
Secretary
Experienced Medical Director with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital & health care industry. Skilled in Medicine, Public Speaking, Electronic Medical Record (EMR), Hospitals, and Healthcare Management. Strong healthcare services professional graduated from LSU Health Sciences Center School of Medicine.
Well respected and established physician executive with over 18 years of leadership experience. Proven outcomes in quality, workflow, and process improvement utilizing LEAN SIX SIGMA principles. Adept in successfully developing and implementing various family medicine, hospice, and palliative care programs including, but not limited to, the first inpatient palliative care Joint Commission Accredited program in Indiana.
Dr. Clevis T. Parker, Sr. has 15+ years of experience in family medicine.
Nathan Adelson Hospice Names Dr. Clevis T. Parker, Sr. as Chief Medical Officer. Prior to his position with the Las Vegas-based hospice, Dr. Parker was the Medical Director of Hospice, Palliative Care & Home Health at Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Most recently, he was the Medical Director at Hospice of Yuma in Arizona.
Dr. Parker completed his undergraduate studies at Xavier University of Louisiana. He earned his M.D. from LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans and completed his residency at East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie, LA, where he served as co-chief resident his third year of residency. He later earned a master’s degree in Health Administration, with a specialization in Health Care Ethics, at St Joseph’s University in Philadelphia in 2014.
Dr. Parker holds memberships in several organizations, including the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and previously served on the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s Education Committee. He is board-certified in Family Medicine and Hospice & Palliative Care.
Treasurer
Candace Carlyon has over three decades of legal experience, including representation of a myriad of constituencies in commercial reorganization and credit restructuring matters. Candace is a tenacious litigator, representing clients in complex commercial litigation matters, including fraud, contract, deficiency, business disputes and receiverships. She also conducts mediations and serves as a pro tempore short trial judge for the Eighth Judicial District Court. She has been certified as a Commercial Bankruptcy Specialist by the American Board of Certification of Bankruptcy and Commercial Rights Specialists since 1994 and is a past president of that organization. She has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America since 1996 and has held an A-V rating, the highest available, since 1989.
Board Member
Jeff Dorocak (door-kack) became city attorney of Las Vegas when he was unanimously selected by the City Council for that position in August 2023. Dorocak was assistant city attorney for the city’s Civil Division since 2021, serving as counsel to the City Council and managing attorney for the office; as a deputy city attorney, he handled legislative and litigation matters.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dorocak graduated from the University of Notre Dame and earned a juris doctorate from The Ohio State University College of Law. A 2012 transplant to Las Vegas, his prior public service roles include working as an intergovernmental relations officer for the city of Henderson and a hearing officer for the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services.
Dorocak is a local government fellow and regional vice president of the International Municipal Lawyers Association, is on the Board of Directors for Nevada Legal Services, and maintains an active pro bono practice with Senior Law Program and the Legal Aid Center’s Children’s Attorneys Project.
Jeff Dorocak and his partner, Harry Avery, reside in Henderson with their two dogs, Jax and Cookie.
Board Member
Deanna is a business litigator and trusted legal adviser who guides her clients in resolving a broad range of issues. She often serves in the role of outside general counsel, strategizing with business owners to protect their legal rights and position their companies for success.
She advises on general corporate and financing issues, as well as labor and employment disputes. She guides the resolution of legal matters in a wide variety of practice areas, connecting her clients with the right team to fit their immediate and ongoing needs. She is also a member of the firm’s Cannabis practice and is well-versed in the unique needs of businesses in this highly regulated industry.
Deanna is particularly fluent in organized labor issues, including collective bargaining. She serves as the regional practice lead for the firm’s Labor & Employment Department for the Las Vegas office and represents and defends clients in all manner of employment disputes, from proceedings before the EEOC to claims of discrimination and pay disputes in the state and federal courts. As a litigator, Deanna believes in adopting an aggressive strategy to achieve her client’s defined goals.
Board Member
Gregory Kamer began his career in 1980 working for the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C. serving as Counsel to the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board for two years in Washington, D.C. and as a trial attorney for one year in Las Vegas, Nevada. Subsequently, he was Labor Counsel for the Nevada Resort Association until 1986 when he founded the law firm Kamer Zucker Abbott which has enjoyed a reputation for excellence among judges, lawyers, and the public since its founding.
Gregg’s practice is exclusively limited to the representation of employers in all aspects of employment law, consisting of public and private sector employers, including health care facilities, public agencies, construction companies, financial institutions, and numerous hotels and casinos.
Gregg has been listed in Best Lawyers® since 1989 and recognized by Chambers USA every year since 2003, noting that Gregg has been praised by clients as “one of the most knowledgeable labor lawyers there is, and excellent on his feet. Gregg has been selected for inclusion in Human Resource Executive’s list of the Top 100 of the Nation’s Most Powerful Employment Attorneys. He has also been recognized as a Super Lawyer in the Mountain States Super Lawyers magazine since 2007.
Gregg served on the Nevada Bar Attorney Disciplinary Committee from 1990-1999. From 1982 until 1991, he served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and at the University of Nevada, Reno from 1991 until 2000. He is a frequent guest speaker at university lectures, management training programs, and labor and employment seminars. He has been a Master of the America Inn of Court since 1995. From 2006 to 2010, he served on the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Nevada. In 2008, Gregg was chosen to serve on the Nevada Supreme Court Commission to Amend the Nevada Code of Judicial Conduct and currently serves on the Judicial Selection Commission.
Gregg also serves as a Mediator and Arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association’s Panel of Mediators from 1992 to the present.
Gregg lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife, Helen, and their boisterous pack of rescue dogs. He spends his free time enjoying poker, chess, books, music, movies, and art.
Additional information may be found on the website: www.kzalaw.com
Board Member
Craig Lyman has been in the financial services industry for 26 years. After working on the institutional side of the business as a Vice President for Oppenheimer Funds, he started his own firm as an independent financial advisor. He clears through LPL Financial as an independent registered representative and an investment advisor representative.
Craig was a member of Columbia University’s Master of Wealth Management program’s inaugural student cohort. After graduating from Columbia University in 2021, Craig went through Columbia’s pedagogical lab and served as a course associate for two courses prior to becoming a lecturer. In addition to having his Master of Wealth Management degree from Columbia University, Craig has undergraduate degrees in business and accounting.
Craig was honored with the Columbia University 2023 SPS Dean’s Excellence Award in the alumni category for his work as a founder and ongoing supporter of the Columbia Wealth Management Advancing Diversity Fellowship.
Craig and his wife Jennifer are not only married but also business partners in Lyman Wealth Advisors. They share four children and two dogs between them. Despite almost being empty nesters, their life still revolves around their family and, of course, their two French Bulldogs.
Craig holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has placed as high as 3rd in both the Pan American Championships and the World Championships in Brazil. When not spending time with clients or family, Craig can be found on the mats of his local Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club training and coaching others.
Board Member
Micaela Rustia Moore was appointed to serve as City Attorney in January 2017. Micaela is the Chief Legal Officer of the City, managing all civil and criminal legal matters for the City. She and her staff provide legal, business, and strategic advice to the Mayor, City Council, Redevelopment Agency, North Las Vegas Library District, all official boards and commissions, all City officers and employees, and all departments.
She also oversees prosecution of misdemeanor and infraction violations, including, but not limited to, domestic violence, battery, petty theft, driving under the influence, code violations, and traffic offenses that occur within city limits. She supervises and manages all litigation and transactional matters handled in-house and by outside counsel, in all aspects of municipal law, such as land use, development, public finance, procurement, labor law, employment law, constitutional law, torts, transportation, public utilities, construction, compliance, risk management, ethics, open meeting law, and public records.
Prior to becoming City Attorney, Micaela was a partner at national law firm Fox Rothschild LLP, where she specialized in financial restructuring and bankruptcy, real estate law, business law, and litigation. She represented a diverse clientele of land developers, financial institutions, commercial businesses, business owners, and officers, in varied industries, including real estate, lending, retail, gaming, hospitality, entertainment, manufacturing, solar, and mining. Having worked on some of the largest and highly contested restructuring matters in the state and represented clients in different roles, Micaela has a unique ability to understand and tackle each party’s competing goals to negotiate and implement solutions to get the best outcome for clients as quickly and efficiently as possible.
With the City recovering from an unprecedented period of financial and political crisis, joining the City of North Las Vegas presented Micaela with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to merge her passion for business transformation with her desire to serve the public good. She is a key member of the executive management team, driving the vision and strategic course of the City. Micaela has played a lead role in bringing a number of significant projects to fruition, including solving a decades-old problem to bring water to the Apex Industrial Park, as well as forming and bonding a special improvement district to add sewer and road infrastructure to previously undeveloped land, all of which has already attracted new industrial businesses with many jobs. Micaela works to keep North Las Vegas in the strongest possible legal standing, thereby saving millions of dollars for essential services. She has been active in identifying risk-generating activities and finding solutions to reduce liability.
Micaela earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and Broadcast Journalism from the University of Southern California. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern Law School. Admitted to the Nevada and California bars, Micaela has practiced law for more than 13 years.
Micaela has received numerous awards. She has been named a top attorney several times in the Legal Elite edition of Nevada Business Magazine, Super Lawyers Mountain States Magazine, and ALM’s “Women Leaders in the Law”. She has also been named a 2015 Rising Star by Las Vegas Business Press. Micaela is also rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell, which is testament that a lawyer’s peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence.
Micaela serves the community through volunteering with the Junior League of Las Vegas and the Children’s Attorney Project through the Pro Bono Project of Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada. She is also an Executive Council At-Large Member of the State Bar of Nevada Public Lawyers Section and on the advisory board for the Leadership and Law Preparatory Academy at Canyon Springs High School. Micaela is a graduate of Leadership Las Vegas, Class of 2018.
Born in the Philippines, Micaela is pleased to be the first Filipina-American to serve North Las Vegas as City Attorney. Her husband is a lifelong Las Vegan and they have three kids.
Board Member & Founder
Senior Justice Miriam Shearing, former President of SLP in 2018 now serving as a Board Member has served in the Nevada judiciary for over thirty-five years. She retired from the Nevada Supreme Court as Chief Justice in 2005 after serving twelve years. She had previously served as Juvenile Court Master, Justice of the Peace of the Las Vegas Township, and Eighth Judicial District Court Judge, including a term as Clark County Juvenile Court Judge. She now serves as a substitute Judge throughout the State, as needed. In addition to serving on the Board of the Children’s Advocacy Alliance, and former Chair of the American Bar Foundation Research Advisory Committee, Justice Shearing also previously served as Chair of the American Judicature Society and on the boards of the Northern Nevada International Center and the Nevada International Women’s Forum. In 2012 the Nevada Supreme Court awarded her the Legacy of Justice Award. She received her Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Cornell University and her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Boston College Law School.
Emeritus Board Member
Robert “Bobby G” Gronauer, founding board member of SLP, is a United States Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam War. He was awarded the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star with a “V” device for Valor for wounds and leadership on the battlefield. Bobby G has 41 years of law enforcement experience. Five of which he served with the Baltimore City Police Department (Baltimore, Maryland) 1969 – 1974. He then served twenty-four years with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (Las Vegas, Nevada) from 1974 – 1999. Throughout his police career, he was assigned to corrections, patrol, detective bureau, and retired as a Sergeant. He was recognized as one of the top ten cops in America by the International Chiefs of Police and Parade Magazine.
In 1999 Bobby G was elected as the Las Vegas Township Constable for three four-year terms, ending in December of 2010. He was also recognized as the National Constable of the year by the National Constables Association in 2002 and 2008. Bobby G has been the recipient of several awards and proclamations from the City of Las Vegas and the County of Clark for his community service and involvement.
Pro Bono Counsel
Dara Goldsmith serves as one of the pro bono attorneys at the Southern Nevada Senior Law Program. She was born and raised in Southern California. She enrolled at California State University Northridge at the age of 16, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 1987. While at Northridge, Dara was active in a wide range of campus and community activities and was selected the University’s 25th Homecoming Queen.
After graduating from Northridge, Dara attended Pepperdine University School of Law, where she earned a Juris Doctor in 1990, followed by a Masters of Laws in Taxation (LL.M.) from the University of Miami (1991 curriculum/1994 thesis).
After completing her coursework at the University of Miami, Dara moved to Las Vegas, where she passed the Nevada Bar Exam and began her legal career. Dara joined forces with Marjorie Guymon to establish Goldsmith & Guymon in 1996. Dara is also licensed in California, Arizona, and Hawaii.
Dara has been involved in many professional and philanthropic organizations throughout her career, including serving on the Nevada State Bar Board of Governors, as President of the Clark County Bar Association, and as Chairperson of the Nevada Community Foundation and of the Nevada Law Foundation/Justice League.
In addition to being recognized as a Nevada Super Lawyer, a Mountain States Super Lawyer, and one of the Top 50 Women Mountain States Super Lawyers, Dara has received numerous awards, including the Nevada Legal Services Pro Bono Guardianship Attorney of the Year, the Presidential Award and the Medal of Justice from the State Bar of Nevada, and the Lloyd D. George Award of Professionalism from the Clark County Bar Association and State Bar of Nevada.
Dara holds an AV Preeminent rating, the highest rating possible as voted by her peers, and is recognized through Martindale Hubbell.
Dara is an accomplished swimmer and triathlete and can often be found in a pool, ocean, lake, or river. A competitive swimmer on Las Vegas Masters Swim Team, Dara competes in pool and open water meets throughout the country. She has also completed dozens of triathlons and distance running events.
Dara is married to Michael Goldsmith. They have two adult sons who share their love of travel, exploration and adventure, open water swimming, skiing, scuba diving, and trekking.
The Supreme Court of Nevada and Southern Nevada Senior Law Program (SLP) request that you pledge to become a Senior Advocate so that more vulnerable seniors are able to be served in our community.
Senior Law Program proudly received a Nevada Supreme Court Certificate of Recognition in 2022. In the certificate the Justices specifically “encouraged probate and estate attorneys to support Senior Law Program by volunteering pro bono or supporting with a donation in lieu of pro bono.”
Please consider becoming a Senior Advocate.
If you are interested in becoming involved in our Senior Advocates Pro Bono Program, contact us today.
Attorney volunteers are able to take advantage of ongoing additional CLE opportunities at no-cost through SLP – earning 1 CLE hour for every 3 hours of uncompensated pro bono service.
7690 West Sahara Ave.
Las Vegas, Nevada 89117
7:15am to 4:45pm
Monday through Thursday
by appointment only
Phone: 702.229.6596
Fax: 702.384.0314
Email: info@snslp.org
©2024 Southern Nevada Senior Law Program. All Rights Reserved.