Hon. Shelley Berkley

Shelley Berkley, was the U.S. Representative for Nevada’s 1st congressional district, serving since 1999 until 2013. After obtaining her law degree in 1976 from the University of San Diego School of Law, Berkley returned to Las Vegas and began her professional career. She practiced law for several years, mainly as a member of the legal counsel for several Las Vegas casinos. She also served as the national director for the American Hotel-Motel Association.

Berkley served in the Nevada Assembly from 1982 to 1984 and was involved in civic affairs locally. She also served on the Nevada University and Community College System Board of Regents from 1990 to 1998, and was appointed vice chair.
Congresswoman Berkley represented Nevada’s 1st congressional district since 1999. The district includes most of the city of Las Vegas as well as the Las Vegas Strip and the city of North Las Vegas. She is the second woman elected to Congress from Nevada, the first woman elected to the 1st district and the first elected as a Democrat.

Berkley is a member of the New Democrat Coalition. Throughout her 14-year career in the House of Representatives (she also served in the Nevada Assembly from 1982 to 1984), Berkely was one of Israel’s strongest and outspoken supporters on Capitol Hill. For example, in 2010, she supported the U.S.-Israel Iron Dome Missile Defense Support Act and in 2012 she urged the Democratic Party to add language to their platform that would acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel. Berkley demonstrates a clear and acute understanding of the conflicts in the Middle East.