Minden attorney named new Douglas bar president

Staff Reports

Minden lawyer Mauricio "Mo" Hernandez was confirmed as new president of the Douglas County Bar Association at the year-end meeting of the association in December. The Douglas bar is a voluntary, professional organization for people engaged in the practice of law.

The association is dedicated to serving its members and to promoting improved understanding, collegiality and professional conduct among members of the bar and bench and the greater community. The current membership numbers more than 50 lawyers practicing in Douglas County.

While its historical antecedents remain unclear, it is believed that the Douglas bar association has been in existence for more than 25 years and includes, among its past presidents, current 9th Judicial District Court Judge Michael Gibbons; immediate past president and current law clerk for Judge Gibbons, Attorney Cassandra Jones, as well as attorneys Chuck Zumpft of Brook-Shaw-Zumpft and Alan Erb.

"With as good a group of local lawyers as are in the DCBA, we need to increase our profile from more than social networking to increase local community outreach," Hernandez said.

To that end, the association has inaugurated its first-ever online e-newsletter and has announced an aggressive calendar of continuing legal education programs, starting with a program on Elder Law on Feb. 22 and one on Court Interpreting on March 22.

Additionally, plans are under way for local participation in the State Bar's Mock Trial Program for high school students and for a first-ever comprehensive Judical Evaluation Survey along with Carson City, Churchill and Lyon counties.