Professor Courtney Cross has spent more than a decade teaching and advocating for survivors of power-based violence — often those with the least access to legal help. Now in her third year at the William S. Boyd School of Law, she leads the Survivor Representation & Advocacy Clinic, which works with individuals experiencing or at risk of traumatic violence. Clients may be seeking protection orders, name changes, and record sealing. The clinic also provides services to incarcerated clients in initial parole hearings and clemency and pardon proceedings. Students often work directly with clients who have been left out of the traditional narrative of the “good victim.”
“Through the lens of power-based violence, we have to think about who is left out of that traditional notion,” Cross said. “The clinic is working hard to build relationships and credibility with communities and organizations that truly center the people we serve.”
On her desk, Cross keeps a photo from her own law school days: her clinic professor — also a domestic violence clinic instructor — standing beside her and two of her former students. She remembers his constant encouragement to take the tough cases, especially the ones that seemed unwinnable.
“My focus has always been on the most marginalized survivors,” she said. “In most places I’ve practiced, they’ve been the ones with the least access to help.”
That focus paid off in spring 2025, when Cross and her students secured a milestone victory: clemency for a client who had served 35 years in prison. The decision led to his release and a long-awaited reunion with his family.
What’s the biggest misconception about your field of work?
That survivors are difficult to work with. In reality, they’re resilient, intelligent, strategic, kind — and can share moments of joy. They inspire me every day.
Your clinic recently had a major clemency win. What stood out to you about that case?
We started working with our client in January 2024, and by December, we were before the Nevada Pardons Board. It was a unanimous decision to commute his sentence from life without parole to life with parole, making him immediately eligible. Our current students then represented him at his February 2025 parole hearing — and in May, after 35 years, he walked free. That kind of result shows students the real-world impact of their advocacy.
Was this the career you imagined as a child?
Not at all! When I was five or six, I wanted to be an astronaut — until I learned my vision wasn’t good enough.
What’s your favorite place on campus?
The top of Hospitality Hall with a coffee. It can be easy to forget we’re in Las Vegas, but the view reminds me we’re in the shadow of the Strip.
Biggest lesson learned from working with clients?
We have skills to help, but clients deserve respect for what they’ve been through and the right to decide their own future. It’s humbling to be part of that process.
How do you take care of yourself doing this kind of work?
Spending time with my kid, cats, and dogs. Talking to my mom every day. And yes — vegan ice cream, RuPaul’s Drag Race, and podcasts.
Favorite thing about working with students?
They make me a better lawyer every semester. In this field, it’s easy to get jaded, but their curiosity and fresh ideas keep me on my toes.
Any fall traditions?
Halloween is big in our house — decorating, treats, and trick-or-treating with my daughter and husband.
