February is Black History Month, and the state bar recognizes and honors the achievements of all Black Nevadans in the legal profession. This week, we spotlight three more Black individuals:
The Honorable Johnnie Blakeney Rawlinson
Nominated by President Bill Clinton in August 1997, Judge Rawlinson became a U.S. District Judge after her nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in April 1998. Upon her appointment, Judge Rawlinson became the first woman and the first person of color to serve on the federal district court in Nevada. On February 23, 2000, after the recommendation of Senator Harry Reid, President Clinton nominated Judge Rawlinson to the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Senate confirmed Judge Rawlinson on July 21, 2000, and she took the oath of office on July 26, 2000. Judge Rawlinson was the first African-American woman to sit on the Ninth Circuit.
Prior to taking the bench, Judge Rawlinson was employed in the office of the Clark County District Attorney for more than 17 years. She served as a deputy district attorney and a chief deputy. In January 1995, she was appointed to the position of Assistant District Attorney, where she supervised the Civil, Family Support and Administrative divisions.
Judge Rawlinson is a summa cum laude graduate of N.C. A&T State University in Greensboro, N.C., with a B.S. Degree in Psychology.
Judge Rawlinson graduated With Distinction from McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, in Sacramento, California and received her Masters in Judicial Studies from Duke University in 2016.
Judge Rawlinson is a member of the Just The Beginning Foundation, Federal Judges Association, State Bar of Nevada, California State Bar, National Bar Association, American Bar Association, American Law Institute, Duke University Board of Visitors, and an Honorary Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Judge Rawlinson has received the following honors and awards: Distinguished Service Award – Clark County Pro Bono Project, Black Women Lawyers of Northern California Recognition Award, Kappa Alpha Psi Outstanding Community Service Award, N.C. A&T State University Alumni Association Outstanding Professional Achievement Award, NOBLE Award, Martin Luther King Committee Drum Major of the Millennium Award, Nevada Attorney General Role Model Award, Links Achievement Award, Urban Chamber Outstanding Professional Achievement Award, McGeorge School of Law Alumna of the Year Award, 2004 Who’s Who in the West, 2004 Who’s Who of American Women, International Legal Professional of the Year 2004, Green Bag Award for Excellence in Legal Writing, 2005 Who’s Who in America, 2005 Who’s Who in American Law, 2005 Who’s Who in American Politics, 2006 Who’s Who of American Women, 2006 Who’s Who in America, 2006 Who’s Who in the West, 2007 Who’s Who in America, 2007 Who’s Who of American Women, 2007 Who’s Who in American Law, 2007 High Heels in High Places Trumpet Award, 2007 Honorary J.D. Degree, Pepperdine University School of Law, 2008 Who’s Who in America, 2008 Who’s Who of American Women, 2008 Who’s Who in Black Las Vegas, 2010 Who’s Who in America, 2010 Who’s Who of American Women, 2011 Who’s Who in American Law, 2012 National Bar Association Women Lawyer’s Division “Jurist of the Year Award,” 2014 Las Vegas Chapter, National Bar Association Lifetime Achievement Award, 2016 National Bar Association Judicial Division Lifetime Achievement Award, 2016 National Bar Association Lifetime Achievement Award, 2020 Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys Justice Miriam Shearing Award, 2020 Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Nevada, Hall of Fame Minority Lifetime Achievement Award Inductee, and 2022 Clark County Black Democratic Caucus Trailblazer Award.
Judge Rawlinson was married to her college sweetheart, Dwight, for 40 years prior to his untimely passing in 2016. They have three children, Monica, a medical doctor, Traci, an executive judicial assistant, and David, a fitness model and personal trainer. Judge Rawlinson is also the proud grandmother of Marc, Danny, and Malachi, all of whom are masters of tae kwon do.
Las Vegas City Attorney Bryan K. Scott
Bryan Scott has resided in North Las Vegas and Las Vegas since April 1970. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (Management) from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1988 and a Juris Doctorate degree from Northwestern School of Law, Lewis and Clark College in 1991. An attorney since October 11, 1991, he has worked for the City of Las Vegas since August 5, 1996 and is currently the City Attorney for the City of Las Vegas. During his time with the City of Las Vegas, Scott has practiced in the areas of General Civil Litigation, Special Improvement Districts, Condemnations, Land Use, Zoning and Planning, Ethics, Cannabis Regulation, Public Records and the Open Meeting Law. From 1996 to 2005 he served as a Deputy City Attorney. From 2005 to 2016 he served as the Assistant City Attorney. From 2016 to 2020 he served as the Senior Assistant City Attorney. On June 17, 2020, Scott was unanimously ratified by the Las Vegas City Council as the 23rd and first African-American City Attorney for the City of Las Vegas in the city’s history (119 years).
From 1991-1993, Scott was an Associate Attorney for Donald J. Campbell & Associates (NKA Campbell & Williams) and an Associate Attorney for Rawlings, Olson, Cannon, Gormley & Desruisseaux (NKA Olson Cannon Gormley & Stoberski) from 1993-1996.
From 2006 to 2009, and from 2010 to 2018, Scott was a member of the State Bar of Nevada Board of Governors. He was the 88th and first African-American President of the State Bar of Nevada in 2016-2017. He was a member of the Nevada Board of Continuing Legal Education from 2011 to 2014. Scott was the first African-American President of the Clark County Law Foundation in 2006 and was elected as the first African-American President of the Clark County Bar Association in 2005. He served as a Board Member/Secretary-Treasurer/President-Elect of the Clark County Bar Association from 2000 to 2004.
In 1996 Scott was elected as the President of the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association. He served in that position until 1999.
Scott is the past Chairman of the State Bar of Nevada’s Diversity Committee and served on the Nevada Supreme Court’s Bench-Bar Committee for three years. Scott currently sits on the Board of the Justice Michael L. Douglas Pre-Law Fellowship Program which seeks to introduce students from underrepresented communities to the rigors of law school and the benefits of having a legal education.
Since 2021, Scott has been a member of the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board’s Cannabis Advisory Commission’s Subcommittee on Social Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
Scott has won a number of awards and accolades for his legal, public service and community service work, including:
On October 8, 2022 The Las Vegas City Attorney’s Office was recognized by the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association (LVNBA) as “Law Firm of the Year” for its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts during the LVNBA’s 41st Annual Scholarship and Awards Gala.
On February 1, 2022 Scott was recognized by the Clark County Black Caucus as one of Nevada’s Black Law Trailblazers and spoke on a panel of distinguished Nevada Legal “firsts” during the Las Vegas Mob Museum’s “Leaders in Law: Celebrating Nevada’s Black Legal Trailblazers” Black History Month Program.
On October 1, 2021, during its Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the International Municipal Lawyers Association (IMLA) awarded Scott with “The Burk E. (Buck) Delventhal Legal Advocacy and Education Award”
In June 2021, the State Bar of Nevada honored Scott with naming its annual “Trailblazer Award” after him and awarding him the Inaugural “Bryan K. Scott Trailblazer Award” during its Annual Meeting on Coronado Island.
Scott has been a member of the Board of Directors for the International Municipal Lawyers Association (IMLA) since 2020.
In May 2019, Scott was named the “James M. Bartley Distinguished Public Lawyer” by the Public Lawyers Section of the State Bar of Nevada in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
In 2019, Scott was named as “Trailblazer of the Year” by the Nevada Association of Real Estate Brokers.
In September 2018, Scott was recognized by the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association as its “Attorney of the Year.”
Scott was honored by the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association in 2019 by the establishment and awarding of the “Bryan K. Scott Book Scholarship” for Law Students.
In 2018 Scott was recognized by the Asian American Advocacy Clinic with its “Unsung Hero” award.
Scott was the Keynote Speaker and awarded the “Educational Pioneer Award” by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach in 2017.
Scott has been recognized as a “Legal Elite: Nevada’s Top Attorneys (Government) by Nevada Business Magazine in 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2017.
Scott was honored by the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association during its 2006 annual Scholarship Gala.
In 2005, Scott received the Martin P. Dowling Volunteer of the Year award from the Clark County Bar Association
In 2002, Scott was awarded the Clark County Bar Association’s Circle of Support Award.
Scott has participated as a speaker during numerous Community events, Continuing Legal Education (CLE) sessions and acted as a speaking panelist and authored numerous articles on various subject matters including: Cannabis regulation, Special Improvement Districts (SIDs), Appearing before an administrative agency, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Nevada African American Attorney “firsts” among other subject matters for the State Bar of Nevada’s Nevada Lawyer Magazine, the Clark County Bar Association’s Communique’ Magazine and other legal publications.
Dr. Brittnie Watkins, Board Member, Nevada Gaming Control Board 
Dr. Brittnie Watkins was appointed a Board Member of the Nevada Gaming Control Board on May 3, 2021, by former Governor Sisolak, who later appointed her to serve as Chair and Executive Director. She served in that role from November 21, 2022, through January 29, 2023. Her term as a board member is effective through January 26, 2025.
Dr. Watkins became a gaming regulator after practicing complex commercial litigation as an attorney with Pisanelli Bice PLLC. Her practice areas included various forms of hotel and gaming litigation at the trial and appellate levels.
Prior to litigating, Dr. Watkins served as a judicial law clerk to Justice Michael Douglas (Ret.) of the Supreme Court of Nevada, where she helped the court make precedential legal determinations that ranged from intellectual property and gaming-related issues to constitutional and real property issues.
In 2020, she became the first Black woman to be elected to the State Bar of Nevada Board of Governors, where she helps regulate Nevada’s legal profession.
Dr. Watkins earned two bachelor’s degrees from Michigan State University, with high honors in psychology and honors in criminal justice. She also holds a master’s degree in criminal justice, doctor of philosophy in educational psychology, juris doctor, and master of laws in gaming and regulation from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).
Her academic honors include selection to the Nevada Law Journal, the Dissertation of the Year Award, the Barbara Buckley Community Service Award, and the Roosevelt Fitzgerald Award for Outstanding Scholarship and Leadership. An avid community advocate, she has contributed hundreds of hours to pro bono representation and is a leader in various community organizations.
Her commitment to leading with service and excellence earned her the Access to Justice Award of Excellence from Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, the Silver Service Award from the Public Interest Law Association, the Circle of Support Award from Clark County Bar Association, and the 2021 Boyd School of Law Alumni of the Year Award from UNLV.