Judge Michelle Leavitt

District Judge - Eighth Judicial District Court - Civil/Criminal Division - Department XII

Michelle Leavitt Department XII Eighth Judicial District Court Term of Office 2002 – present Judge Michelle Leavitt was born in 1965 in Las Vegas, Nevada. She graduated from Las Vegas High School in 1983 and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1987. Judge Leavitt graduated from California Western School of Law cum laude in 1994. She was a member of the Law Review International Law Journal. Upon graduation from law school, she began work with the law firm of Alverson, Taylor, Mortensen, Nelson & Sanders, where she gained considerable experience in medical malpractice and other forms of civil litigation. In July 1998, Judge Leavitt became a sole practitioner, specializing in a broad range of criminal defense and civil litigation matters. In January, 1999, she was appointed by a unanimous vote of the City Council to fill a vacancy on the Municipal Court. Judge Leavitt was re-elected twice to her seat in 1999 and 2001. In March, 2002, Judge Leavitt submitted an application for an open District Court seat. The seat was a gubernatorial appointment and in May, 2002, Governor Kenny Guinn appointed Judge Leavitt as a District Judge in Department 12 of the Eighth Judicial District Court. Judge Leavitt was sworn into office on May 10, 2002. Judge Leavitt, a mother of three children , is a member of the State Bar of Nevada, Clark County Bar Association and the Nevada Judges Association. Judge Leavitt also serves as member on the Criminal Task Force of the Judicial Assessment Commission; the Education Commission of the Nevada Judges Association, and the Supreme Court’s Mandatory Sentencing Review Commission.

Source: official court website - retrieved Aug 22, 2026