Judge Michelle Leavitt was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is a third generation native Nevadan. Her children are fourth generation Native Nevadans. She graduated from Las Vegas High School, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is the eighth of eleven children of the late Justice Myron E. and Shirley Leavitt. She is one of five lawyers in her immediate family.
Her family has always been committed to serving the community. Her grandfather served on the Clark County Commission and her grandmother was Vice-President of the Women’s Auxiliary of the American Legion. Her father, Justice Myron E. Leavitt served in many public offices during his lifetime, including Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court. Her children have been lucky to attend a middle school named in honor of their grandfather, and stands as a legacy of his commitment to the community, Justice Myron E. Leavitt Middle School.
Judge Leavitt received her Juris Doctor Degree from California Western School of law, Cum Laude. She graduated in the top 10% of her class. She finished law school on an accelerated program in 2 1/2 years. She also gave birth to her second child during her fifth semester. She was a Staff Editor of the Law Review International Law Journal. She maintained membership on the Dean’s List and was a top ten finalist in Moot Court.
Upon her return to Las Vegas, Nevada, Judge Leavitt began practicing with the prestigious litigation law firm of Alverson, Taylor, Mortensen, Nelson & Sanders. She practiced in civil defense, including medical malpractice, insurance defense and premises liability. Thereafter, she practiced as a sole practitioner, and practiced in all areas of civil and criminal litigation. 
In January, 1999, the Mayor and City
Council unanimously appointed Judge Leavitt to the Municipal Court. She served honorably in that position until May 2002, where she handled thousands of cases. She presided over 400 misdemeanor bench trials. She was re-elected two times to that position. She worked hard to improve Municipal Court and was instrumental in passing legislation which gave Municipal Court Judges six year terms, similar to other Judges in the State of Nevada.
Judge Leavitt is currently a District Court Judge in Department XII of the Eighth Judicial District Court. Governor Kenny Guinn appointed her to that position in 2002. She was retained by the voters that same year. She is in her tenth year as a Judge. Department XII is the same department her father, the late Justice Myron Leavitt, presided over for 15 years, prior to his elevation to the Nevada Supreme Court.
She handles numerous cases, including civil and criminal matters. Judge Leavitt has presided over 161 trials, including 123 jury trials and 38 bench trials. In her ten years, she has presided as the Judge in well over 500 trials. She has handled many high profile cases. She handles civil complex cases as well as felony and capital murder cases. She recently presided over a very complex civil matter which resulted in a verdict in excess of $53,000,000.
Judge Leavitt had the honor of sitting on the Nevada Supreme Court to hear and decide three cases. She was appointed by Governor Guinn to sit in place of her father while he underwent a kidney transplant. She authored a published opinion State v. Sutton, 120 Nev. 972, 103 P.3d 8 (2004). This decision has been cited favorably in more than ten decisions, including the Nevada Supreme Court, the 5th Circuit–U.S. District Courts, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit–U.S. District Courts, treatises and a brief presented to the United States Supreme Court, Day v. Crosby, Jr., 2004 U.S. Briefs 1324, 2005 U.S. S. Ct. Briefs (U.S. Nov. 30, 2005).
She has participated in many judicial education programs and has over 300 hours of continuing judicial education. She is a frequent attendee at the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada. She further volunteers her time in the community in outreach programs to help educate the public on the Judicial System. She volunteers every year on Law Day to go out into the schools to educate young students on the Judicial System. She volunteers on Career Day in the Clark County School District to inform children of the judicial system and how it works.
Judge Leavitt has taught at numerous continuing education classes for the Clark County Bar Association, the Nevada Trial Lawyers Association, Nevada District Judges Association and the Nevada Judges Association. She also has taught courses at many judicial conferences. She was the featured speaker at a Continuing Education Course held in federal court regarding the Rules of Civil Procedure, when the rules were changed significantly by the Nevada Supreme Court.
Judge Leavitt is the mother of three beautiful active children ranging in age of 11 to 17.
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