Brent T. Adams (Ret.) was a judge for the Second Judicial District Court in Washoe County, Nevada. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor Bob Miller in 1989. He was retained in subsequent elections and retired from his seat in 2014.
Adams received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and English from Northern Arizona University. While at University, he served as president of the Associated Students and was a member of the collegiate debate team. As such, Adams led the winning team in the National Discussion Contest. He went on to earn a J.D. from the University of Arizona College of Law in 1974. In law school, he served as the editor of the College of Law News Journal.
Adams was a reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, where he was named the Outstanding Reporter of the Year by the Nevada State Press Association.
He began his legal career as a law clerk for the senior partner at Lionel Sawyer & Collins. Later, Adams served as an assistant federal public defender and was the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Nevada from 1982 to 1984.
While on the District Court bench, Adams served as chief judge of the Court. He is also credited with spearheading the Washoe County Drug Court, the Early Case Resolution Program, the Bench-Bar Committee, the Pretrial Services Department, the courthouse security program, the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee, and the renovation and relocation of the Washoe County Law Library. Adams was also the founding presiding judge of the Washoe County Business Court.
Upon his retirement, then-Governor Brian Sandoval designated August 1, 2014, “Judge Brent Adams Day”, in Nevada.
Adams was named Judge of the Year by the Northern Nevada Alumni Association of the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.
He was a member of the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline, the Board of Continuing Legal Education, the State Bar Disciplinary Board, and the Judicial Public Records Commission.
He served as a faculty member of the National Judicial College, where he taught settlement conference techniques, complex case management, judicial discretion, professional ethics, and evidence. In addition, Adams taught judges in Moscow, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Columbia, as well as conducted educational seminars in Guam.
Adams was the editor-in-chief of the Nevada Civil Practice Manual and Forms (second and third editions) and sat by designation on the Nevada Supreme Court.