Melvin Brunetti Papers

Melvin Brunetti was born in Reno, Nevada in 1933. Staying close to home, Brunetti graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a BS in Electrical Engineering. Following an unusual path to judgeship, Brunetti worked in the dairy industry for seven years before receiving his law degree from University of California, Hastings College of Law. Brunetti became a partner in the law firm of Laxalt, Bell, Berry Allison, and LeBaron. This partnership with Paul Laxalt would embroil Brunetti in the politics of Nevada, in which he played an important role.

In 1974, Brunetti represented Paul Laxalt during Laxalt’s Nevada senatorial race against then Lieutenant Governor Harry Reid. The seat was vacated by three term incumbent Democrat Alan Bible, who had decided to retire rather than seek another term. After votes were counted, Reid received just 624 fewer votes than Laxalt, spurring him to pursue a recount. Brunetti was intimately involved in the recount, which eventually confirmed winning results for Laxalt, who succeeded Alan Bible as senator. The final recount tally cut Laxalt’s margin of victory to 611 votes. Laxalt maintained that seat in the U.S. Senate until 1987, upon which time Reid filled Laxalt’s vacated seat and served as Senate Majority and Minority Whip and Leader until 2017.

Established in 1981 through the influence of John Leary, former president of Gonzaga University, the Nevada School of Law at Old College faced challenges from its beginning. It lacked accreditation from the American Bar Association due to facility and financial issues. State law prohibited practice of law without graduation from and American Bar Association (ABA) accredited school. Although Old College remained devoted to gaining accreditation, a petition to the Supreme Court in 1984 for the exemption of students to have graduated from an ABA accredited school failed on the basis of maintaining high standards of law practice in Nevada. Due to the failure, students were unable to sit for the Nevada Bar exam. The school ultimately folded in 1988. As a member of the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Nevada, and later President, Brunetti was intimately involved in regulations regarding who could sit for the bar exam. The State Bar of Nevada looked to block those Old College students from sitting for the bar based on the college’s lack of ABA accreditation.

Brunetti also served as President of the State Bar of Nevada in 1985 after serving as President-Elect in 1984. His term as President was complicated in part due to his appointment to the 9th Circuit Court by President Ronald Reagan. Unsure of his swearing in date as judge, Brunetti continued to serve as President through 1985.