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Judge Ellie Roohani, who serves on the Eighth Judicial District Court in Department 11, will be ceremonially sworn in at an investiture on Feb. 23. Judge Roohani was appointed to replace retiring Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez in December 2020 by Gov. Steve Sisolak. The investiture, which will take place at 3 p.m., will be live-streamed at https://www.facebook.com/clarkcountycourts.
Judge Roohani is the first judge in Nevada to practice the Baha’i faith. Judge Roohani’s family left Iran for the United States shortly after her birth in order to flee religious persecution in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. Baha’is were actively persecuted, killed and prohibited from obtaining higher education in Iran.
“My parents left everything they knew and loved to escape religious oppression solely because the laws of their country did not protect them or recognize them as equal citizens. They were stripped of all their rights and possessions because of their religion,” said Judge Roohani. “They left so that I might have a chance to attend school and achieve my dreams. I don’t take lightly their sacrifice and hard-work that enabled me to pursue my career in the law. Respect for the law was not just a platitude in our home; it permeated every lesson my parents taught me.”
Prior to her appointment, Judge Roohani worked for the Department of Justice, where she held a top-secret security clearance and served for more than five years as an Assistant United States Attorney. She prosecuted violent crime and child sexual exploitation cases in the trial and appellate units. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals routinely affirmed the cases Judge Roohani prosecuted. In addition to her regular duties, Judge Roohani took on additional roles reviewing clemency applications for the United States Attorney General and served as the Black Affairs Special Emphasis Coordinator, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, U.S. Attorney’s Office Anti-Harassment Coordinator, and as a Law Enforcement Officer Mentor and Training Officer. The FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department have recognized Judge Roohani for her commendable performance in prosecuting large-scale multi-defendant child exploitation cases.
Judge Roohani received all of her education through Nevada institutions: she graduated with honors from Clark High School’s AMSAT magnet program; graduated with honors with her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and received her Juris Doctorate from the William S. Boyd School of Law as a dean’s award recipient. While in law school, she served as the editor-in-chief of the Nevada Law Journal.
Judge Roohani taught advanced legal analysis and judicial writing at the Boyd School of Law and assisted students with bar exam preparation. She served as a law clerk to federal judges Roger Hunt (District of Nevada) and Johnnie Rawlinson (Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals).
Judge Roohani is actively involved in the community and serves as a member of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Leadership Las Vegas program, Kiwanis Club of Southwest Las Vegas, Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada, Latino Bar Association and Howard D. McKibben American Inn of Court.
“We welcome Judge Ellie Roohani to the District Court Bench,” said District Court Chief Judge Linda Marie Bell. “Judge Roohani’s knowledge and experience are assets that will serve her well, particularly during this crucial period for the court, as we work vigorously to address the backlog created by the pandemic.”
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