Robert Harry Perry

Robert Harry Perry was born on November 13, 1943, in Salem, Oregon, and was raised in Topeka, Kansas, where he graduated from Topeka Central High School in 1962. He enlisted in the Marine Corps after high school and was later appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy from the enlisted ranks, receiving an honorable discharge in 1967. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas in 1968 and a Juris Doctor from the same institution in 1973, working full-time throughout law school.

Admitted to the State Bar of Nevada in 1974, Perry built his career in Reno, first serving as a criminal investigator and deputy district attorney for the Washoe County District Attorney's office before spending some 29 years as a plaintiff's attorney across several firms and, later, in independent practice. He was widely respected among his peers, was named Trial Lawyer of the Year for the State of Nevada by the Nevada Trial Lawyers Association in 2004, and held membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates and the American College of Trial Lawyers.

In 2005, Perry was appointed to Department Nine of the Second Judicial District Court by Governor Kenny Guinn, and he was elected to the bench in 2008. During his judicial service he presided over a number of high-profile matters. He died on December 20, 2011, at the age of 68, and was survived by his son, Sam, and his daughter, Camille.