Bret Whipple (second from right) and family pose for a photo with Regent James Dean Leavitt (center) before the 2014 UNLV commencement ceremonies. Whipple was named a 2014 Distinguished Nevadan by the Nevada Board of Regents.
The Nevada Board of Regents named local attorney and Pahranagat Valley High School graduate Bret O. Whipple as a 2014 Distinguished Nevadan. This honor represents the most prestigious award conferred by the Board of Regents. It is bestowed upon prominent individuals who have made significant achievements that have contributed to the cultural, scientific or social advancement of Nevada.
Whipple founded the law firm Justice Law Center, which represents Nevada residents needing legal representation. His experience in the field of law is wide-ranging and includes over fifty jury trials and numerous “oral arguments” before the Nevada Supreme Court. Recently, Whipple represented a Nevada citizen before the United States Supreme Court.
A fourth-generation Nevada rancher, he spent his childhood moving cattle across the Great Basin rangeland. Whipple was also a Nevada state officer for the Future Farmers of America. Following high school, he worked as an exchange student on a farm in Germany and sheared sheep on an Australian sheep station. He attended the University of Pennsylvania on a football scholarship and graduated with a degree in accounting. He is a certified public accountant in Arizona, New York, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. He later earned a juris doctorate from the University of Arizona and is licensed to practice law in Arizona and Nevada.
Whipple has been highly involved in issues unique to Nevada. He served as a member of the Board of Regents from 2003 through 2008 and was Chairman of the board from 2005 to 2007. More recently, Whipple was appointed by Gov. Jim Gibbons and reappointed by Gov. Brian Sandoval to serve on the Nevada P16 Advisory Council, which assists in the coordination between elementary, secondary and higher education in the state.
Bret and his wife Paige are the proud parents of daughter Hope and son Shea. He expresses his gratitude to the people of Pahranagat Valley for their support – particularly his incredible teachers who took the time to help place him on a path to success.
