Hon. Gloria J. Sturman (Ret.)
Hon. Gloria J. Sturman (Ret.) joins JAMS following 15 years on the bench in the Eighth Judicial District Court of Nevada, where she presided over complex civil matters including business and contract, personal injury, medical and legal malpractice, eminent domain, and contested probate and guardianship proceedings. In addition to managing her own docket, she regularly conducted settlement conferences in probate, personal injury and commercial cases assigned to other judges.
Before taking the bench, Judge Sturman practiced civil litigation for more than 25 years. She was a partner at Edwards, Hale, Sturman & Cushing, Ltd., and later practiced with Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker and Buckley King. Her practice focused on municipal defense, civil rights, professional liability, employment, construction defect, premises liability and personal injury matters. She represented public entities and private clients in complex, multiparty litigation in state and federal courts, and briefed and argued appeals before the Nevada Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Judge Sturman also has substantial ADR experience. Prior to joining JAMS, she served as a court-appointed arbitrator for Nevada’s Mandatory Arbitration and Short Trial programs and was appointed by the Clark County Commission to serve as a pro tem justice of the peace. During her time on the bench, she regularly conducted settlement conferences for probate, personal injury and commercial cases assigned to other judges.
At JAMS, Judge Sturman focuses her practice on mediation, arbitration, serving as a special master or referee, and acting as an alternate judge under the rules adopted by the Nevada Supreme Court for Alternate Trials.
Representative Matters
- Civil Rights
- As a judge, presided over various civil cases that involved issues of municipal liability and civil rights
- Represented municipal entity in civil rights actions alleging violations of federal and Nevada constitutional rights, including claims brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983
- Defended prisoner rights and conditions of confinement cases, including claims of deliberate indifference to medical needs and ineffective assistance of counsel.
- Litigated employment-related civil rights claims involving public employers, including First Amendment and procedural due process issues; briefed and argued issues before state and federal trial and appellate courts
- Defended disability access and public accommodation claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act and related state statutes
- Litigated qualified immunity defenses and municipal liability claims involving counties, municipalities, and elected and appointed public officials; briefed and argued issues before state and federal trial and appellate courts
- Defended civil matters involving alleged unlawful search and seizure, excessive force, due process and equal protection violations
- Class Action & Mass Tort
- As an attorney, represented parties in casino and hotel fire cases
- Represented a party in commercial general liability class actions involving a 1031 tax exchange and misappropriation claims
- As an attorney, represented governmental agency in purported class action arising out of the foster care system
- Environmental Law
- As an attorney, tried to verdict claims involving discrimination, wrongful termination, and related statutory and common law issues
- As a judge, presided over appeals of workers’ compensation claims and addressed issues related to workers’ compensation coverage when raised in personal injury and insurance litigation matters
- As an attorney, handled pre-litigation employment matters addressing workplace compliance, risk assessment and human resources practices
- As an attorney, handled discrimination claims resolved at the dispositive motion stage, including matters involving age and race discrimination, with appellate review at the federal circuit level
- Estate Probate Trusts
The following probate, estate and trust matters were handled by Judge Sturman on the bench:
- Contested probate proceedings involving trusts and estates
- Guardianship matters and served on the Permanent Guardianship Commission
- Contested guardianship matters involving financial accountings, appointment of guardians, determinations of competency and restoration to competency
- Matters in which a party elected to exercise statutory right to confidentiality, including sealing and redacting documents in accordance with Supreme Court rules
- Will, trust and intestate succession matters involving:
- Contested wills and trusts, including disputes over:
- Intestate succession, including determination of parentage
- Will contests involving validity of testamentary instruments, including allegations of forgery and other issues with execution of the instrument
- Ademption and extinction of specific bequests
- Whether a decedent died intestate or testate, including revocation/lost wills and trusts
- Classification of property, including determining community property interests
- Interpretation of internation wills
- Disputes over effect of foreign divorce and subsequent remarriage
- Disputes involving powers of attorney, including statutory compliance issues (e.g., competency certifications)
- Review of estate planning amendments prior to death of the settlor/testator
- Contested wills and trusts, including disputes over:
- Capacity, undue influence and elder abuse matters involving:
- Claims alleging common law and statutory allegations concerning:
- Lack of testamentary or contractual capacity
- Undue influence
- Elder abuse
- Challenges to transfer instruments benefiting the person receiving the transfer
- Claims alleging common law and statutory allegations concerning:
- Trustee conduct, fiduciary duty and administration matters involving:
- Interpretation of Nevada irrevocable trust creation, amendment and administration issues
- Breach of fiduciary duty claims against trustees
- Trust accounting disputes and court-ordered accountings
- Surcharge and clawback actions to remedy improper trustee conduct
- Disputes over trust administration protocols and management decisions
- Family and intra-heir disputes involving:
- Intra-family conflicts among:
- Siblings
- Estranged family members
- Children versus surviving spouses or significant others
- Disputes involving blended families, second marriages and nontraditional relationships
- Matters involving self-represented parties alongside represented parties
- Intra-family conflicts among:
- High-value and complex estate matters involving:
- Multimillion-dollar and billion-dollar estates
- Estates involving:
- Closely held businesses
- Family limited partnerships
- Investment accounts
- Real property portfolios
- Disputes requiring valuation and allocation among multiple heirs or beneficiaries
- Charitable and foundation interest matters involving:
- Estate and trust disputes involving:
- Domestic and foreign charitable foundations
- Allocation of assets among charitable and individual beneficiaries
- Matters requiring coordination among heirs, fiduciaries and charitable entities
- Estate and trust disputes involving:
- Intellectual property and unique assets disputes involving:
- Intellectual property, including music publishing rights, internet, film and television intellectual property
- High-profile personal property and legacy assets
- Conservatorship and guardianship disputes involving:
- Cases addressing fiduciary authority, capacity and protection of vulnerable individuals
As a settlement judge, mediator and arbitrator handled:
- Extensive service as settlement judge, mediator and arbitrator in probate and trust disputes
- Resolution of:
- Multiparty disputes
- Cases involving represented and self-represented litigants
- Highly contentious family conflicts
- Successful facilitation of binding settlements, frequently resulting in dismissals with prejudice
- Governmental & Public Agency
- As a judge, presided over cases involving governmental entities
- Catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death and tort claims against public entities
- Construction, public works and infrastructure disputes
- Employment and labor disputes involving public entities
- Civil rights and constitutional claims against governmental entities
- High-profile, multijurisdictional enforcement and regulatory actions
- As an attorney, handled civil rights, personal injury, wrongful death and professional negligence matters involving governmental entities and public agencies
- As a judge, presided over code enforcement, permitting and land use issues such as inverse condemnation and eminent domain matters, including valuation disputes
- As an attorney, served as a lawyer representative for the United States District Court for the District of Nevada
- As an attorney, handled appellate matters involving civil rights and municipal liability issues arising from disputes involving public entities and employers
- As an attorney, handled matters involving public agencies and political subdivisions concerning civil rights, employment, tort and contract issues, including matters involving large municipal and regional authorities
- As a judge, presided over cases involving governmental entities
- Personal Injury
- As an attorney, handled complex, multiparty litigation arising from large-scale catastrophic events, including mass-casualty fire incidents
- As an attorney, handled tort matters involving individuals, businesses and governmental entities, including personal injury and wrongful death claims
- As a judge, presided over cases involving catastrophic injury and wrongful death, including:
- Severe personal injury and fatality cases involving motor vehicles, construction, industrial, aviation, maritime and recreational accidents
- Wrongful death claims ranging from single fatalities to mass-casualty events, requiring multiparty coordination among plaintiffs, defendants and insurers
- As an attorney and judge, handled and presided over motor vehicle and transportation matters, including:
- Automobile, motorcycle, bicycle and pedestrian accidents, including UM/UIM claims and commercial carrier liability
- As an attorney and judge, handled and presided over product liability and toxic exposure matters, including:
- Defective product design, manufacture or warning claims across industries (medical devices, vehicles, consumer products)
- Asbestos exposure, lead paint, defective dietary supplements and medical device mass torts (hip replacement settlements)
- As an attorney and judge, handled and presided over premises and industrial liability matters, including:
- Premises liability and public property safety cases
- Claims against public entities for dangerous conditions, improper signage or unsafe construction zones
- As an attorney and judge, handled and presided over medical negligence and health care liability matters, including:
- Medical malpractice involving misdiagnosis, negligent treatment and procedural errors
- Nursing home negligence and elder abuse cases
- Infectious disease and health-related injury claims, including disease transmission and toxic supplement injuries
- As an attorney and judge, handled and presided over sexual assault, abuse and emotional harm matters, including:
- Sexual harassment, abuse and assault cases involving adults, minors and institutional defendants
- Highly sensitive mediations involving trauma, psychological injury and reputational harm
- Professional Liability
- As an attorney, handled professional liability matters involving allied medical professionals, brokers, agents, accounting professionals and design professionals
- As an attorney, tried professional liability matters to verdict, including disputes arising from allegedly defective commercial transactions and professional services
- As an attorney, handled legal malpractice matters
- As an attorney and judge, handled and presided over professional negligence and malpractice across multiple disciplines:
- Medical, dental, chiropractic and pharmaceutical negligence
- Legal malpractice (negligent advice, missed deadlines, conflicts of interest)
- Accounting and financial malpractice (audit errors, valuation disputes)
- Architectural and engineering malpractice (defective design and construction plans)
- Insurance broker negligence (failure to procure or advise on proper coverage)
- Directors and officers (D&O) liability and real estate errors and omissions (E&O) disputes
- Claims involving lack of consent, breach of professional duty and failure to meet standards of care
- As an attorney and judge, handled and presided over medical and health care liability, including:
- Complex medical malpractice, including surgical negligence, failure to diagnose and improper medical or dental procedures
- Hospital, nursing and elder care liability, including wrongful death, abuse and institutional neglect
- Pharmacy and medication errors, including dispensing incorrect prescriptions
- As an attorney and judge, handled and presided over public entity and institutional liability, including:
- Claims involving dangerous public conditions, including roadway and infrastructure defects
Honors, Memberships and Professional Activities
Memberships and Affiliations
- President, Nevada District Judges Association, 2019–2020
- President, Howard D. McKibben American Inn of Court, 2018–2020
- Member, American Board of Trial Advocates, 2016–2026
- Board Member, FBI Las Vegas Citizens Academy Alumni Association, 2015–2022
- National College of Probate Judges
- Member, 2012–2026
- Board Member, 2024–2026
- Clark County Bar Association
- Member, 1983–2026
- President, 1993–1994
- Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys
- Member, 1983–2026
- President, 1988–1989
- State Bar of Nevada
- Member, 1983–2026
- President, 2002–2003
- President, Board of Trustees, Las Vegas Clark County Library, 1996–1998
- Member, State Bar of Arizona, 1982–2026 (inactive)
Selected Awards and Honors
- Judicial Excellence Award, Clark County Bar Association, 2025
- Spotlight Award, Women’s Democratic Club of Clark County, 2023
- Women of the Year Award, Emerge Nevada, 2023
- Bryan K. Scott Trailblazer Award, State Bar of Nevada, 2023
- Miriam Shearing Award, Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys, 2022
- Ambassador of the Year Award, Clark County Bar Association, 2018
- Liberty Bell Award, Clark County Law Foundation, 2013
- Volunteer of the Year Award, Clark County Bar Association, 1997
Background and Education
- Judge, Eighth Judicial District Court, Clark County, Nevada, 2011–2026
- Attorney, Buckley King, 2009–2010
- Attorney; Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker; 2005–2009
- Partner; Edwards, Hale, Sturman & Cushing, Ltd., 1983–2005
- M.J.S., Judicial Studies, University of Nevada, Reno, 2025
- J.D., Arizona State University College of Law, 1982
- B.S., cum laude, Arizona State University, 1979
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