Jessica Goodey
Goodey was elected to Las Vegas Justice Court 2022 and presides over a civil calendar. She was in private practice before her election. She is midway through a six-year term in justice court.
Goodey was elected to Las Vegas Justice Court 2022 and presides over a civil calendar. She was in private practice before her election. She is midway through a six-year term in justice court.
Candidate Deep Dive
Goodey, JessicaYears Licensed in NV
16 years (admitted in 2010)
Trial Stats
- No specific trial counts self-reported
- Candidate statement claims she has “handled thousands of civil and criminal cases throughout the justice court system” as a sitting Justice of the Peace since January 2023
- As a practicing attorney (2010–2022): 12 years of civil litigation practice, primarily personal injury, medical malpractice, and business litigation. Would be expected to have substantial bench and jury trial experience in civil matters, though specific counts are not publicly documented
- Estimated extensive bench experience as a sitting judge since January 2023 (approximately 3+ years on the bench)
Ethics History
No negative ethics history.
Sanctions
None
Title
- Current title / position
- Justice of the Peace, Las Vegas Justice Court, Department 6 (January 2023 – Present)
- Elected to a six-year term in November 2022; term ends January 1, 2029
- Currently presides over a civil calendar, handling civil cases up to $15,000 (breach of contract, neighbor disputes, property damage, landlord/tenant, minor car crashes and similar matters)
- Reviews search warrants during assigned times and days
- Serves as chair of the Civil Committee and chair of the Legislative Committee
- Serves on the Executive Committee and Rules Committee
- Vice President, Nevada Judges of Limited Jurisdiction (NJLJ)
- Secretary, American Judges Association (AJA); also serves on Executive Committee and Board of Governors
- Justice of the Peace, Las Vegas Justice Court, Department 6 (January 2023 – Present)
- Practice areas in current position
- Civil law bench (Justice Court Dept. 6 is a designated civil department)
- Presides over civil disputes with amounts in controversy up to $15,000, including breach of contract, property damage, landlord/tenant disputes, neighbor disputes, small claims and minor vehicle collision matters
- Search warrant review
- Conducts warrant review for law enforcement during assigned rotations
- Civil law bench (Justice Court Dept. 6 is a designated civil department)
- Prior job titles (chronological)
- Goodey Injury Law, Owner/Attorney (November 2019 – December 2022)
- Solo practice representing individuals and businesses in civil matters, primarily complex personal injury and medical malpractice cases
- Becker Goodey, Co-Owner/Attorney (May 2014 – November 2019)
- Co-owned civil litigation practice focused on complex business, personal injury, and medical malpractice cases
- Las Vegas Municipal Court, Alternate Judge (2019 – January 2023)
- Served as an alternate judge for the Las Vegas Municipal Court prior to taking the bench at Justice Court
- Las Vegas Justice Court, Justice of the Peace Pro Tempore (sworn in 2021)
- Served as alternate judge when regular justices were unavailable
- Court-Appointed Arbitrator, 8th Judicial District Court alternative dispute resolution program
- Decided civil cases up to $50,000 as part of Nevada’s mandatory arbitration program
- Goodey Injury Law, Owner/Attorney (November 2019 – December 2022)
Career Highlights
- J.D., William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2007–2010)
- Received highest grade in Trial Advocacy class; received a Dean’s Award for contributions to the school
- First place, First Annual Society of Advocates Mock Trial Competition
- Participated in Juvenile Justice Clinic as a student attorney representing juveniles in the criminal system
- Participated in Street Law program, teaching law in at-risk Las Vegas high schools
- Admitted to the State Bar of Nevada, 2010
- State Bar of Nevada, Board of Governors (2018–2020)
- Elected to Las Vegas Justice Court, Dept. 6 in November 2022 (won primary in four-way race; received 59.18 percent in general election against William Gonzalez)
- 2025 Judge of the Year, Nevada Judges of Limited Jurisdiction
- Co-created the first New Judges Training Academy in Nevada
- Contributed to revisions of the statewide Justice Court Rules of Civil Procedure
Significant Cases
None
Judicial Philosophy
- Campaign slogan: “Get Goodey” for District Court
- Core platform: civil expertise and efficiency
- Argues that a district court civil/criminal department specifically needs judges with deep civil law backgrounds; positions her 12 years of civil practice plus her current civil bench experience as directly aligned with the Dept. 26 docket
- Ran for justice court in 2022 after personally waiting six months for a judge to issue a decision following a three-hour trial
- Frames efficiency and timely rulings as a core judicial obligation
- Publicly committed to issuing all decisions within two weeks of hearing
- Emphasizes respect for litigants’ time and taxpayer resources
- Views slow court proceedings as a form of justice denied
- Supports remote hearings (video and telephonic appearances) as an accessibility measure for litigants
- Emphasizes empathy and fairness, particularly for pro se litigants
- Describes a deliberate practice of slowing courtroom proceedings when self-represented litigants appear, to ensure they understand what is happening and what is expected of them
- Cites “making sure that everybody is treated fairly and equally under the law” as a core commitment
- Positions herself as a reformer from within the court system
- Points to her role in revising the statewide Justice Court Rules of Civil Procedure and co-creating the first New Judges Training Academy as evidence
Endorsements & Contributions
- Endorsements
- Las Vegas Peace Officer Supervisor Association
- Las Vegas Police Managers & Supervisors Association
- Las Vegas Police Protective Association
- Nevada Police Union
- Peace Officers Research Association of Nevada
- Police Officers Association of Clark County School District
- Public Safety Alliance of Nevada
- Reno Police Protective Association
- Sparks Police Protective Association
- Washoe County Sheriff Deputies Association
- Washoe County Sheriff’s Protective Association (WCSPOA)
Community Service
- Vice President, Nevada Judges of Limited Jurisdiction (NJLJ)
- NJLJ is the statewide professional organization representing Nevada’s limited jurisdiction judges (justice court and municipal court)
- Leadership role reflects peer recognition and active engagement with judicial professional development statewide
- Secretary, American Judges Association (AJA); Executive Committee and Board of Governors member
- AJA is an international professional association of judges committed to judicial education and improving the administration of justice
- Co-creator, New Judges Training Academy (Nevada)
- Helped establish Nevada’s first formal training program for newly-elected or newly-appointed judges
- Contributor, Statewide Justice Court Rules of Civil Procedure revisions
- Participated in revising the procedural rules that govern civil proceedings in Nevada’s justice courts
- State Bar of Nevada, Board of Governors (2018–2020)
- Governing body of the state bar; responsible for regulating the legal profession, attorney discipline, and bar policy in Nevada
- Street Law volunteer (as a law student)
- Volunteered with Street Law, a program that teaches practical legal concepts in at-risk Las Vegas high schools
- Juvenile Justice Clinic, student attorney (as a law student)
- Represented juveniles in the criminal justice system through UNLV Boyd’s clinical legal education program