New judges Erika Mendoza and Tina Talim will be ceremonially sworn in at an investiture on September 5 at 3 p.m. at the Clark County Government Center Commission Chambers at 500 S. Grand Central Parkway. Investitures are formal ceremonies with significant symbolism, as new judges publicly swear an oath to uphold justice. The investiture will be live-streamed at https://www.facebook.com/clarkcountycourts.

Erika Mendoza is currently serving as a judge in Department 27 of the Eighth Judicial District Court. Prior to her appointment, she served in the Clark County District Attorney’s Office. She began her work in the DA’s Office in October 2011 and most recently held the position of team chief of the Gun Crimes Unit, where she oversaw the attorneys and carried a caseload of complex felony gun crimes. Prior to the DA’s Office, she externed with Judge Douglas Herndon and the Las Vegas City Attorney’s Office while at UNLV Boyd School of Law. She graduated law school in 2011 and, prior to that, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in interdisciplinary studies with a focus on legal studies at the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2004. She was born and raised in Rochester, New York, but has been in Las Vegas for almost 20 years. She is married to a native Las Vegan and local business owner and they have two sons.

Judge Tina Talim is the presiding judge in District Court Department 14. Judge Talim started her career in civil litigation then served nearly two decades as a prosecutor with the Clark County District Attorney’s Office. At the District Attorney’s Office, Judge Talim earned a reputation for being an excellent trial attorney, trying cases ranging from robbery series to sexual assaults on minors to homicides. Judge Talim was quickly promoted to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Unit where she prosecuted international drug cartels. Working with local and federal law enforcement agencies, Judge Talim helped form the “Overdose Response Team” and supervised the prosecution of all fentanyl-related overdose murders. In 2023, Judge Talim was appointed the District Attorney director of diversity and community outreach, and she worked actively with the youth of Clark County, helping to bridge the gap between various groups and the District Attorney’s Office. Judge Talim worked with many local youth organizations and lectured about the dangers of fentanyl. For her efforts, Judge Talim was twice awarded “Prosecutor of the Year.” She was the first civilian recipient of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s “Exemplary Service Award” for her prosecution of a notorious gang. Judge Talim also received the “Outstanding Investigative Effort” award by President Barack Obama for her prosecution of Nevada’s largest methamphetamine drug trafficking organization. With her appointment to the bench in June, Judge Talim became Nevada’s first Indian-American judge. As a life-long public servant, Judge Talim continues her service to Clark County from the bench..