The Harris Family Legal Tradition

My dad encouraged me to be a lawyer. His great-granddad was a frontier lawyer and judge in Fremont County, Idaho. After graduating from BYU with a degree in communications, I attended the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California. My first year of law school, I worked with the poor as a law clerk for Legal Aid. During my second year, I was a law clerk for the firm representing Howard Hughes’ cousins, who successfully contested the so-called “Mormon Will,” found to be a forgery. I interned for the Chief Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court during my last year of law school before graduating in 1980.

After taking the California and Nevada bar exams the same week and passing them both, my first job as an attorney was with criminal defense lawyer, and former Las Vegas Mayor, Oscar Goodman. He taught me to be passionate about the law and to have fun. Oscar excelled at client service. He told me, “Rick, my clients hug me through the bars.” Oscar’s clients loved him win or lose, as he fought for them. I started my own practice 18 months out of law school and what began with a single client grew to over 50,000 satisfied clients over the years. One thing has remained constant – my clients come first. My professional success could be measured by our significant verdicts and settlements on many large Nevada and California personal injury and wrongful death cases, some attracting national media coverage. But I am most proud the lawyers at my firm know each of our clients personally and that their case, large or small, is individually handled by our team of professionals.

My dad was proud to have a son who became a lawyer for the people. But that was just beginning. My brother Stephen Harris became a lawyer and practices in Utah as Harris Lawyers, PC. His son, my nephew Matthew Harris, is also a Utah lawyer and owns The Harris Law Firm, PLLC. Steve’s other son Brian Harris and his wife Heather Harris practice in Las Vegas as Harris and Harris Lawyers. Another nephew, Ryan Harris practices in California as Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. I’m the proud father of Josh Harris who practices with me at Richard Harris Law Firm.

To all our clients over the past 35 years, thank you for your trust and confidence in allowing us to represent you. And to all the people in the communities we serve, thank you for caring enough about your family and friends in their Journey to Justice, to refer them to us. We are Nevada’s largest personal injury law firm for the people – and according to our clients, the hardest working.