ACLU of Nevada Marks New Chapter With Expanded Legal Department

LAS VEGAS — The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada announced the hiring of two senior staff attorneys Monday, marking a turning point for the organization. The nonpartisan, nonprofit organization is preparing to pursue an aggressive litigation docket to address numerous civil rights issues affecting the state of Nevada.

Christopher Peterson and Jennifer Shomshor joined the ACLU’s legal department as senior staff attorneys. Both attorneys have extensive litigation experience. They will work from the organization’s Las Vegas office and will join staff attorney Nikki Levy in representing the ACLU of Nevada in high-impact, civil rights cases statewide.

Peterson joins the ACLU of Nevada after an extensive stint with the Clark County Public Defender’s Office, where he has litigated a wide range of constitutional issues, including illegal searches and seizures, due process violations, and more. Before joining the ACLUNV, Shomshor worked as a litigator in both the private and public sectors.

ACLU of Nevada executive director Athar Haseebullah said:

“Nevada has been through so much in the last year alone, including serious inequities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing issues related to racial injustice. I’ve made it no secret that we need an aggressive ACLUNV legal department to help advance civil liberties in Nevada. It is critical for our legal department to have the capacity to meet the needs of these extraordinary times, and we’re excited to have Jen and Chris join us.”

The ACLUNV legal department has won important victories for the state of Nevada in recent years. The nonprofit has shut down a discriminatory anti-immigrant ballot measure, fought for transparency around a planned execution, and held the state accountable for its failure to provide appropriate representation to criminal defendants in rural counties who cannot afford an attorney.

ACLU of Nevada senior staff attorney Jen Shomshor said:

“I’m excited to join the ACLU of Nevada team and to do the ‘big work,’ as we call it in my family, of advancing social justice through high-impact litigation."

ACLU of Nevada senior staff attorney Christopher Peterson said:

“As a founding member of the Las Vegas chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, I served as a legal observer during the protests following the killing of George Floyd, and I know there is so much work to do to advance civil rights in Nevada. It’s a real privilege to be able to join the fight with the ACLU of Nevada."