First Assistant Attorney General
Craig Newby will be serving as the First Assistant Attorney General for the Office of the Nevada Attorney General. Most recently, Newby served as Deputy Solicitor General and Chief Litigation Counsel for the Office, counseling and representing executive agencies, the Governor, and the Secretary of State. Newby received the Office’s 2020 Justice Award for his service.
Prior to entering public service, Newby was a partner at McDonald Carano LLP, specializing in complex litigation. A first-generation college student, Newby earned his law degree from Harvard Law School and his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Second Assistant Attorney General
Christine Jones Brady joined the office in 2019 as Assistant
Attorney General for criminal justice and consumer protection. She is
also the Tribal Liaison and serves as the Vice Chair of Nevada’s Sentencing
Commission on behalf of the office. She began her career in public service at
the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in San Francisco, and later for
a Community Action Agency that advocated for vulnerable populations in Nevada.
She has participated in several statewide boards and commissions, including the
Attorney General’s Domestic Violence Council. Just prior to joining the
Nevada Attorney General’s Office, Brady represented indigent defendants
for more than a decade at the Washoe County Public Defender’s Office.
Brady grew up in Southern Nevada, and for the past 15 years has
made Northern Nevada her home. Brady earned her Juris Doctor degree from
the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Boyd School of Law. She also
graduated from Stanford University with a Master’s degree in sociology and a
Bachelor’s degree in political science. Brady was honored by the Las
Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association in 2019 as Attorney of the
Year. She was recognized by Attorney General Ford with the 2021
Justice Award and selected as a 2022 National Association of Attorneys
General International Fellow.
Chief of Staff
Teresa Benitez-Thompson is a long-time Reno resident who is familiar to many as the former Assembly Floor Majority Leader in the Nevada State Legislature. During her elected tenure, Teresa was a proud member of the 80th Legislative Session; a historic session producing the nation’s first female majority legislature.
Teresa earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Nevada, Reno, and holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. While in Ann Arbor, Teresa focused on macro-based policy work, and completed a practicum in the Office of Governor Jennifer Granholm. Teresa also served as the President of the School of Social Work Student Union. As a licensed social worker, Teresa practiced in the child welfare and medical fields.
Teresa and her husband Jeff consider themselves lucky to be raising their four children in the beautiful Truckee Meadows.
Solicitor General
Heidi Parry
Stern will be serving as the Solicitor General for the Office of the Nevada
Attorney General. Stern joined the Office in 2016 as Chief of the
Post-Conviction Unit. In this position, she supervised attorneys around the
State in litigating habeas matters and criminal appeals, focusing particularly
on matters pending before the Ninth Circuit. Prior to joining the Attorney
General’s Office, Ms. Stern was in private practice in Las Vegas, where she
specialized in commercial appeals.
A native Nevadan, Ms. Stern has been practicing law in the State for over 15 years. She began her Nevada career as a law clerk to the Honorable Johnnie B. Rawlinson after graduating from Harvard Law School in 1999.
General Counsel
Leslie Nino Piro will be serving as the General Counsel for the Office of the Nevada Attorney General. Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, Nino Piro was a staff attorney for the U.S. District Court, District of Nevada, focusing on federal habeas corpus proceedings. Nino Piro also has private sector experience as an Associate at Holland & Hart LLP in a variety of complex civil litigation, regulatory, and administrative matters. In 2015, she was named a “Rising Star” in business litigation by Super Lawyers Magazine. Nino Piro also served as a judicial law clerk to District Judge Roger L. Hunt and Magistrate Judge Peggy A. Leen in the U.S. District Court, District of Nevada.
Nino Piro has lived in Las Vegas for over 30 years and is a proud graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the William S. Boyd School of Law. She has a strong record of serving the local community. In law school, she was a founding member of La Voz, the Hispanic law students association, and the Huellas (footprints) Mentorship Program for aspiring Latinx lawyers. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Las Vegas Latino Bar Association and previously served on the Latino Advisory Board for Nathan Adelson Hospice.