Nevada Appellate Lawyer- Joel D. Henriod
Joel joined the firm in 2024 to lead its post-trial and appellate practice, following his long partnership in the venerable appellate group of a large regional firm. He handles appeals and writs in the Supreme Court of Nevada and the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals—both for the firm’s clients and collaborating with other law firms. He also engages on complex and novel legal issues as they arise in the trial court, especially in dispositive motions, in limine motions, trial strategy, settling of jury instructions, post-judgment motions, and settlement.
Joel’s practice embraces an array of substantive areas of law. In addition to advocating for plaintiffs in negligence, product-liability, mass-tort, and insurance bad-faith matters, he also represents various parties in commercial and public-sector disputes involving election law, breach of contract, taxation, eminent domain, and governmental regulation, etc.
Joel is a fellow of the prestigious American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and is recognized by his peers as one of Nevada’s most effective advocates. He has been listed in Mountain States Super Lawyers yearly since 2014 and selected for their “Top 100 Lawyers” every year since 2016. Best Lawyers in America has included him yearly since 2017 and named him their 2023 “Appellate Practice Lawyer of the Year” for Las Vegas. In 2018, Las Vegas Defense Lawyers presented him their “Lawyer of the Year Award.” And Martindale Hubbell gave him an “AV/Preeminent Attorney” rating in his first year of eligibility.
Joel also is a leader in the legal community. He is President-Elect of the Clark County Bar Association, a former chair of the Appellate Litigation Section of the Nevada Bar Association, and served on the state bar’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility. He frequently publishes and speaks on various legal topics.
Prior to law school, Joel volunteered at orphanages in Romania and translated for American surgeons (Operation Smile) at the Bucharest Children’s Hospital.
Education
J.D., Vanderbilt University Law School, 2003
B.A. in Philosophy, University of Utah, 2000
Bar Admissions
- Nevada State Bar, 2003
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court, District of Nevada
- U.S. Court of Appeals. Ninth Circuit
Professional Associations and Memberships
- State Bar of Nevada, former Chair of Appellate Litigation Section
- Clark County Bar Association, President-Elect, and former Executive Board Member
- American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, Fellow
- State Bar of Nevada, Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, former member
Honors and Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America, 2023 Lawyer of the Year, Appellate Practice – Las Vegas
- The Best Lawyers in America, Appellate Practice, 2017-2024
- Mountain States Super Lawyers, Appellate, 2014-2024; “Top 100” Lawyers, 2016-2024; "Rising Star," 2010-2013
- Martindale-Hubbell,"AV/Preeminent Attorney" rating
- “Lawyer of the Year Award,” Las Vegas Defense Lawyers, 2018
- Nevada Business Magazine, Southern Nevada's Top Ranked Attorneys, 2022
- Nevada Business Magazine, "Southern Nevada's Top Attorneys," Legal Elite, 2019-2020
- Vegas Inc., Top Lawyers, Appellate, 2021
Publications
- Co-Author, Preserving the Record in Appellate Practice in Federal and State Court (David M. Axelrad ed., 2018)
- Co-Editor, Nevada Civil Practice Manual (6th ed.)
- Author, Counterclaims, Crossclaims, and Third-Party Claims in Nevada Civil Practice Manual (6th)
- Author, Post-Trial Motions in Nevada Civil Practice Manual (6th)
- Author, Appeals in Nevada Civil Practice Manual (6th)
- Co-Author, Oral Argument in Nevada Appellate Practice Manual (2016 ed.)
- Co-Author, Dispositions in Nevada Appellate Practice Manual (2016 ed.)
Lectures and Presentations
• Speaker, “Sanctions and Spoliation CLE,” Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys, February 2023
• Speaker, “Ethics Year in Review 2021,” State Bar of Nevada, December 2021
• Speaker, “Ethics Year in Review 2020,” State Bar of Nevada, December 2020
• Moderator, “How Busy Appellate Courts Ensure Your Case Gets Due Attention” (a panel discussion of justices of the Nevada Supreme Court), State Bar of Nevada, July 2020
• Guest Lecturer, “Appeals Begin at Trial,” Trial Advocacy Seminar, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law, March 2019
• Guest Lecturer, “Closing Arguments from the Defense Perspective,” Trial Advocacy Seminar, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law, January 2019
• Speaker, “Strategically Using Motions in Limine,” National Business Institute, December 2016
• Speaker, “Legal Ethics: Hot Topics and Current Trends,” National Business Institute, December 2016
• Moderator, “The Decision-Making Process in the Nevada Appellate Courts” (a panel discussion of justices of the Nevada Supreme Court), Nevada Bar Association Annual Meeting, July 2016
• Speaker, “Nevada Supreme Court Decisions: What Do they Mean for Clients?,” Clark County Bar Association, May 2016
• Speaker, “Tips for Practicing in the Nevada Court of Appeals,” Nevada Bar Association Annual Meeting, July 2015
• Producer, “Model Oral Argument,” 14th Appellate Practice Institute Program, Northwestern Law School, May 2011
• Speaker, “The Strategic Use of Pretrial Motions to Facilitate a Better Trial Outcome,” DRI Seminar, March 2009
• Producer, “The Psychology of Mistakes,” American Academy of Appellate Lawyers Spring Meeting, March 2006
