Nevada Supreme Court exempts itself from annual fee

The Nevada Supreme Court has changed the rules to exempt its members and all other members of the state judiciary from having to pay the annual fee imposed to support the Nevada Board of Continuing Legal Education.

That fee — $40 a year — is charged to nearly all lawyers practicing in the state and pays for operations of the commission.

There are a few exemptions including for those lawyers on active duty in the military and those lawyers who are 70 or older. But generally, every licensed lawyer in the state has to pay.

The high court order issued Nov. 29 adds judges to the list of the exempt, excusing all active members of the judiciary from paying the $40 a year.

In Nevada, there are currently 183 judges. That list includes seven Supreme Court members, three on the Intermediate Appellate Court, 83 district and family court judges, 68 Justices of the peace and 22 municipal judges.

For District Judges, the base salary in Nevada is $160,000. For Supreme Court Justices, the base is $170,000.

But all of them also earn longevity pay of up to 22 percent and they get more compensation for duties outside the courtroom per se such as Supreme Court service on the Pardon’s Board.

Altogether, district court salaries total $195,200 and the pay for Supreme Court justices rises to more than $200,000 annually.

The order was signed by all seven members of the high court.