Cedric A Kerns

Cedric A. Kerns came to Las Vegas in 1985 to attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he was a member of the nationally ranked debate team before graduating in 1989. He received his juris doctorate in 1992 from the University of San Diego.

Cedric was a partner and co-founder of the law office of Kerns and Lybarger, where he focused on criminal defense and domestic law. While in private practice, he was appointed as a member of the Nevada Supreme Court Task Force for the "Study of Economic Bias in the Justice System".

Cedric was elected to department 5 of the Las Vegas Municipal Court in 1997 at the age of 31, making him the youngest judge on the bench in the State of Nevada. While on the bench he received numerous recognitions for the work that he did within the community of Las Vegas. Some of the highlighted awards include being chosen "Judge of the Year" in 2006 by the Nevada Judges Association. The Foundation for Recovery recognized him by presenting him with the "Community Partner Award" for the year of 2009. Community Counseling Center recognized him with his outside the box thinking, by presenting him with the 2013 "Vision Award." He was also recognized by the Nevada Supreme Court in 2013 by being the first limited jurisdiction judge to receive the "Legacy of Justice Award", this award is presented to a person within the judiciary whose career has resulted in significant and innovation improvements in the justice system to the benefit of the citizens of Nevada. In 2016, he was the recipient of the Foundation for Recovery's "Brick Award", the highest honor bestowed by the foundation. During his tenure on the bench, he was recognized on three different occasions by the Mayor and City Council with a "Judge Cedric A. Kerns Day". He has also presented at numerous State Judicial Conferences, National Conferences and has presented at the National Judicial College.

After serving 27 years on the bench he retired and joined the firm of Watkins & Letofsky, LLP. He is now a partner in the Nevada office of Watkins, Letofsky & Kerns, LLP., practicing primarily in criminal defense and insurance subrogation.