WBTI & Chinese American Academic Association of Nevada (CAAAN)

PPAA18 ***** 8:57 a. m., May 3, 2004 #First Edition *****
Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI)
http://communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/wbti
Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark Denton and Valorie Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058
*It's our pleasure to pay a tribute to the above officials who dedicate to the civic and community service spects of our organization in an honorary or adjunct capacity.
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U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley --- a real star for Nevada
By Tiffany Chang
Congresswoman Shelley Berkley was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November, 1998. Shelley represents constituents living in the First Congressional District of Nevada, including residents of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and unincorporated areas in Clark County. The District annually records the largest population increase in the nation. U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley has A Lifetime of Commitment to Nevada.*1
She has lived in Las Vegas for over four decades. Shelley has a deep sense of commitment to give back to the community that opened the doors of opportunity for her. She also has never forgotten that her family headed west seeking a better life, and found it in Las Vegas. She completed junior high and high school in Las Vegas, then went on to become the first member of her family to attend college when she enrolled in UNLV. Elected Student Body President, 1971-1972, she graduated with honors and a B.A. in Political Science from UNLV in 1972. After earning her law degree at the University of San Diego School of Law in 1976, she returned to Las Vegas to begin her career.*2
It is good to have a book talked about Shelley recently. It is shown in one of the three parts of the following article in Las Vegas Review-Journal today:
Monday, May 03, 2004
Copyright & copy; Las Vegas Review-Journal
POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: Assemblywoman Chowning kicks off campaign
Commission B position could get more crowded
By ERIN NEFF
REVIEW-JOURNAL
U. S. Congresswoman
Berkley in Woodward book*3
U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley found her way into one of the hottest books inside the Beltway, Bob Woodward's "Plan of Attack."
Woodward describes an Oct. 1, 2002, meeting at the White House with a dozen members of the House International Relations Committee, during which, he reports, that Berkley asked what the administration would do if it attacked Iraq and Saddam Hussein responded by attacking Israel.
"Super Patriots are a possibility. We have very technologically advanced weapons," Bush said, as reported in the book, and then turned to Vice President Dick Cheney to say: "What am I allowed to say?"
"Not too much," Cheney replied. "There are launch boxes in Iraq. (We) can fly Predators and preempt strikes."
Berkley said the only fact of the nine-paragraph meeting Woodward didn't report was what she was wearing.
"I don't know how he did it, but if the rest of the book is like that, it's accurate," she said.
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U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley has successfully sought appointments that enable her to meet the needs of Southern Nevada, since she swore in as a Member of Congress on January 6, 1999.
Shelley is a former Vice Chair of the Nevada University and Community College System Board of Regents. Appointed to the Board in 1990 by the Governor, she was then twice elected as a Regent by Las Vegas-area voters. She completed her second term on the Board in 1998. Throughout her tenure, Shelley worked to keep higher education in Nevada affordable and accessible to all qualified students.
This bright lady has devoted her energies to charitable and civic efforts ever since she was a teenager. Her work and ideas have contributed to many of Southern Nevada�s successes.*4
On February 23, 2004, U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley wrote Dr. and Mrs. Tony Lei that,"Thank you for your generous contribution to my re-election campaign. I greatly appreciate your support. Please know that your help makes a significant difference. I look forward to continuing my service in Congress and shall endeavor to serve in the manner that merits your confidence in me."*5
Shelley Berkley is born a leader. Shelley is an educated leader. Shelley is a prctical and bright leader since her college life. She received her juris doctorate degree from San Deigo Law School. She was the former Regent of University and Colleges of Nevada. She has been Executive Advisor for Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI) since 1996. Her successful leadership both good in work performance and human relations has won all her assistants' and followers' full and sincere respects. In order to celebrate Shelley Berkley's winning as U. S. Congresswoman, elected as a member of the International Relations Committee (IRC) of the Congress, and Dr. Tony Lei as her Senior Advisor; Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI) and Chinese American Academic Association of Nevada (CAAAN) established the "Literature and Academic Forum" ("LAF") in 1999. It has been brought to you by Las Vegas Review-Journal through http://communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/wbti.*6
At the time when Shelley was elected as the Member of IRC, she told Las Vegas Review-Journal that to promote the tourism, trade, and investment with foriegn countries for Nevada and our states is her primary interest. Her emphasis is enhancing the 2004 mission of WBTI:
(1). To encourage and promote academic research, community service, humane spirit, and educational programs. (2). To launch and participate events and projects for the development and cooperation of tourism, education, business, and culture.*10 We are pleased to welcome her good wishes to all our citizens, residents, and visitors of Nevada that "I look forward to continuing my service in Congress and shall endeavor to serve in the manner that merits your
confidence in me."*7
The following is the major article appears on Las Vegas Review-Journal today about U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley:
Monday, May 03, 2004
Copyright @ Las Vegas Review-Journal
Berkley unopposed so far, but GOP still plans challenge*8
By ERIN NEFF
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Each speaker at the Republican State Convention this weekend urged delegates to work for the re-election of Reps. Jim Gibbons and Jon Porter.
But nobody made a squeak about Nevada's 1st Congressional District, the one held by three-term Democrat Shelley Berkley.
With filing for office opening today, and Berkley prepared to sign her paperwork bright and early at the Clark County Government Center, there is still not even a hint of a Republican to run against her.
"It doesn't speak well for either party when they don't mount an opponent," said Bob Seale, former state Republican chairman.
Newly elected Chairman Earlene Forsythe said she hopes a candidate will emerge, though she hasn't heard any names mentioned.
"We want to make sure that we get Jon Porter and Jim Gibbons re-elected," she said, adding the party is not throwing in the towel in Berkley's race. "We're looking for a candidate."
Berkley has faced an election opponent in each of her three tries. In 2002, she faced Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald. In 2000, she faced Porter, then a state senator. In 1998, Republicans came up with then-District Judge Don Chairez.
"I've had three tough races, and I am continuing to do everything I can until 5 p.m. on May 14," she said, referring to the hour at which filing for office closes.
Berkley said she has essentially been campaigning since the day after the 1996 congressional election, won by John Ensign, now a U.S. senator.
She had her eye on the seat she knew Ensign would give up to run for the Senate.
For this race, she has already raised $1.3 million and has about $1 million in the bank. Berkley pledges to stop raising money if nobody files to run against her.
She's also working to help others raise money, regularly bringing congressional colleagues to her central Las Vegas and North Las Vegas district, raising awareness of Nevada's needs.
"I have an outstanding staff, and I think we are hitting a stride," Berkley said.
Republican National Committeeman Joe Brown warns that if the GOP gives Berkley a pass this year, she could become as entrenched as Gibbons is for Republicans in the 2nd District, where he faces little opposition and wins by large margins over little-regarded Democrats.
"There is a concern that could happen," Brown said.
The 1st District was reapportioned in 2001 and created as a "safe" Democratic seat. The district currently has 107,321 registered Democrats to 73,919 registered Republicans.
Berkley campaign manager Renee Aschoff said, "We are waiting and hoping for a free pass, but we don't know what that feels like."
Aschoff said Berkley's own tenacious campaigning -- she returns to her district every weekend for events -- has given her an edge.
"She works very hard every day to retain her seat," Aschoff said.
Berkley said she does not consider herself to be entrenched. "We're not there, yet," she said.
But if she does win her fourth term, without a Republican opponent, will she be?
"I would hope not," Brown said. "We've got to have someone run for that very reason."
Berkley is closely aligned with Democrats on the leadership track, such as John Lewis of Georgia and Loretta Sanchez of California, and is friendly with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California.
That has led political observers to speculate Berkley might gain a coveted position on the House Ways and Means Committee -- the very job that can almost guarantee re-election because of the appropriations written into legislation that come to the individual's district.
"I'm torn between aspiring for the Ways and Means seat and keeping my three committees, which I would have to give up to sit on Ways," Berkley said. "I love my committees, and I'm starting to move up in seniority."
Berkley has increased her margin of victory in each of her three previous races.
She defeated Chairez narrowly, 50 percent to 46 percent; Porter 52 percent to 44 percent; and was the lone bright spot for Democrats in 2002 when she defeated Boggs McDonald 54 percent to 43 percent. That year, Republicans swept all major elected offices in Nevada.
Gibbons, now seeking his fifth term, faces a challenge from Pahrump Democrat David Bennett but is expected to win by a landslide. His dominance in recent elections has prevented the Democrats from mounting a party-backed effort to unseat him.
And, as his strength grows in Nevada, Gibbons has also watched his congressional workload become closer to the Bush administration and House leadership, leaving him in contention for a committee chairmanship. His position also had him flirting with a Senate run this year and considering a bid for governor in 2006.
Some political observers believe Berkley to be a similar force for the Democrats.
"She's a real star in the party, and she'll go as far as she wants," said Adriana Martinez, Democratic state chairwoman, during the party's recent state convention.
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References
*1. GSBPA of WBTI. is the initials of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration (GSBPA) of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI).
*2. Ibid.
*3. Neff, Erin. 'POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: Assemblywoman Chowning kicks off campaign,' "Las Vegas Review-Journal," (May3, 2004), Las Vegas, Nevada: reviewjournal.com.
*4. GSBPA. 'U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley will hold her Senior Advisory Committee meeting on April 12, 2004,' "Newsbrief of WBTI," (April 9, 2004), Las Vegas, Nevada: WBTI.
*5. Berkley, Shelley. "A letter to Dr. Tony Tung-tien Lei from U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley," (March 29, 2004), Washington, D. C.: Office of Congresswoman Shelley Berkley.
*6. GSBPA of WBTI. 'Congratulations! For U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley,' "LAF3, Newsbrief of WBTI," (January 26, 2004), Las Vegas, Nevada: WBTI.
*7. Bell, Stewart; Walsh, Jessie; and Chang, Chang. 'Las Vegas nicer with community service through cultural arts,' "10 Year Thai Cultures in Las Vegas, Nevada," (September 16, 2003), Las Vegas, Nevada: Thai Cultural Arts Association of Las Vegas.
*8. Neff, Erin. 'Berkley unopposed so far, but GOP still plans challege,' "Las Vegas Review-Journal," (May3, 2004), Las Vegas, Nevada: reviewjournal.com.

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Judicial & Public Services ***** 4:59 p. m., Sunday, May 2, 2004 ***** #First Edition
Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI)
http://communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/wbti
Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark Denton and Valorie Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058
*It's our pleasure to pay a tribute to the above officials who dedicate to the civic and community service spects of our organization in an honorary or adjunct capacity.
------------------------------------------
The people who elect the judges and the people who judge the judges
By PAI of WBTI*1
The Public Administration Institution (PAI) post the following information by getting rid of a judgement:
Sunday, May 02, 2004
Copyright @ Las Vegas Review-Journal
JUDICIAL REVIEW: Lawyers judge judges' performance
--- To District Judges Jessie Walsh and Kathy Hardcastle the survey is little more than an exercise in petty bickering and chauvinistic behavior designed to even perceived slights. Eight of the 10 judges with the lowest retention scores are women.*2
Most jurists favor analysis, but some say it's not an accurate evaluation
By DAVE BERNS
REVIEW-JOURNAL
***Family Court Judge T. Arthur Ritchie Jr. ranked second among judges included in the survey with a retention rating of 95 percent from lawyers who critiqued him. He believes that some participating lawyers do not realize "how negative some of the comments are, how personal the comments are, and it's not really constructive."
Photo by Gary Thompson.
***Clark County District Judge Stewart Bell scored a retention rating of 92 percent from lawyers who believe the former Clark County district attorney should remain in his job as a freshman judge. Bell said he disregards the positive and negative comments at the extremes, and instead looks for guidance from the suggestions in the middle.
Photo by Jim Laurie.
***Clark County District Judge Kathy Hardcastle says she believes the survey is little more than an exercise in petty bickering and chauvinistic behavior designed to even perceived slights. "You're going to have a certain percentage of the bar who's going to be upset, and they treat the women judges differently," Hardcastle says.
Photo by Clint Karlsen.
***Richard Morgan, dean of the Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is convinced that most of the lawyers who participated in the latest edition of the judicial survey tried to fairly assess the judges.
Photo by Craig L. Moran.
Las Vegas Justice of the Peace James Bixler received the highest retention rating of the 60 judges surveyed, with 96 percent of the lawyers who critiqued him saying they would recommend that he be re-elected to the bench. "I love this job. It's a wonderful job, the freedom to control your own calendar to work at your own pace," Bixler says.
***Photo by Gary Thompson.
---------------------------------
They rule over a contentious world of prosecutors and criminals, angry spouses and frustrated plaintiffs. It's a tightly wrapped setting where few people openly critique their performance. After all, what attorneys want to risk the wrath of judges who control much of their professional fate?
Judicial evaluations are rare. In Nevada, they come once every four or six years when voters have their say. But how are judges to know what their regular clientele -- lawyers -- think of their day-to-day work?
For 12 years, the Review-Journal and the Clark County Bar Association have joined to produce a once-every-two-year analysis of judicial performance. In this year's edition, 3,365 bar association members who have paid their dues and do not face disciplinary action received mailed and e-mailed requests to rate 60 state, county and local judges via the Internet, the first time the survey has been conducted online.
Las Vegas Justice of the Peace James Bixler received the highest retention rating of the 60 judges surveyed, with 96 percent of the 183 lawyers who critiqued him saying they would recommend that Bixler be re-elected to the bench.
Family Court Judge T. Arthur Ritchie Jr. ranked second with a retention rating of 95 percent from 135 lawyers. Justice Court Judges Rodney Burr and Stephen Burr followed with scores of 94 percent.
Lawyers were asked to only rate judges they have appeared before during the past two years.
A good share of the jurists say the ratings serve a valuable purpose, a chance to receive feedback that can spark change. It has led judges to change their courtroom demeanor or to alter practices that caused confusion.
"I think there's a value in the exercise in that I will try to study and take to heart those things that were said with an eye toward improvement," said District Judge Stewart Bell.
"I think it can be a learning tool," added Nevada Supreme Court Justice Michael Douglas, who was recently appointed to his post after serving as a Clark County District Court judge. "Sometimes you get comments about your staff. Sometimes you think, 'Do I do that?' "
Others see the survey as a flawed effort that doesn't accurately gauge judicial performance, one that fails to account for weekends sacrificed to case preparation or after-hours courses taken to improve knowledge of civil and criminal procedure. The critics say the thoughts of jurors, litigants and court staff should also be included.
To District Judges Jessie Walsh and Kathy Hardcastle the survey is little more than an exercise in petty bickering and chauvinistic behavior designed to even perceived slights. Eight of the 10 judges with the lowest retention scores are women.
Walsh received the lowest score among the 60 judges. Her 31 percent retention figure was down from a 51 percent rating two years ago when she served as a Municipal Court judge. Hardcastle earned a retention rating of 67 percent, relatively low by the survey's standards but high enough to keep her out of the bottom 10.
"I think it is what it is," Walsh said. "I was elected by the citizens and not by a handful of disgruntled lawyers."
While judges and lawyers agree there is room for disagreement over interpretations of the law, they say the traits of a good jurist are clear: someone who is fair, firm, unbiased, attentive, patient and acts in a dignified manner.
"No, you don't have to be the smartest guy in the room. What you have to have is a good set of radar, a sense of what somebody is saying," said Bill Dressel, president of the National Judicial College in Reno.
Southern Nevada's hypergrowth has created challenges for the region's judicial system, added Dressel, a former Colorado judge, who heads the college attended by rookie and longtime jurists seeking to improve their performance. The monthly influx of 6,000 to 7,000 new residents contributes to a lack of confidence in the courts, he said. As a result, new residents are not familiar with judges, the prosecutors and police, and their word may carry less weight for newcomers.
"People have to get back the concept that this is your court. That's your biggest hurdle that you've got to overcome in Southern Nevada," Dressel argued. "There's a disconnect. It means they don't have this confidence built into the system. Reno is growing too, but people are familiar with the judges of Northern Nevada. They think, 'This is my judge, and my judge will do the right thing.' "
Of all the pitfalls that come with a judgeship there's one that can be fatal to any judicial career. They call it black robe disease, a sign of judicial arrogance.
"There are people on the bench who throw their weight around, who forget that they're there to serve people (and instead) behave impolitely, imperiously," Dressel said.
Judges displaying signs of that affliction have been known to face electoral opposition from angry lawyers, but Richard Morgan, dean of the Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is convinced that most of the lawyers who filled out the latest judicial survey tried to fairly assess judges.
"There's always going to be some segment of the evaluators who may do things for suspicious reasons because they want to get back at a judge for a ruling they didn't like, but in general I think lawyers who complete these evaluations try to be fair," he said.
Nevertheless, Walsh, the freshman district judge, said she has heard of male lawyers getting together to drink beer and rip female judges while jointly filling out the surveys, a claim the Review-Journal has not been able to verify. Hardcastle is equally outspoken in her criticism of the approach she says some lawyers adopt toward female judges when filling out the survey or appearing before them in court.
"You're going to have a certain percentage of the bar who's going to be upset, and they treat the women judges differently. I don't notice it so much now as when I first began," Hardcastle said. "There's a lack of formality and respect that they give to the (women) judges. I think they test the female judges more than they do the men. We see it as much or more from the female lawyers."
UNLV's Morgan said such talk is not uncommon in the legal profession, which did not experience a major influx of women until the 1970s. Concerns about courtroom bias have led bar associations and law schools throughout the country to study the issue.
"Sure it's possible there's some gender bias out there. One would hope to the extent it's out there it's unconscious bias ... and efforts to keep sensitizing lawyers and judges will be successful," Morgan said. "That's not to say I'm agreeing there's gender bias in the case of whoever these eight women (judges) are, but the possibility of gender bias is something bar associations and courts around the country have examined with some frequency over the last couple of decades."*3
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References
*1. PAI of WBTI is the initial of Public Administration Institution of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI).
*2. Dave, Berns, 'JUDICIAL REVIEW: Lawyers judge judges' performance,' "Las Vegas Review-Journal," (May2, 2004), Las Vegas, Nevada: reviewjournal.com.
*3. Ibid.

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