Congresswoman Shelley Berkley has represented the families of Nevada’s First Congressional District since 1999 and is currently in her sixth term as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

 

A Las Vegas resident for more than four decades, Shelley has a deep sense of commitment to her community and has never forgotten that when her family headed West in search of a better life, they found it in southern Nevada. After completing junior high and high school in Las Vegas, Shelley became the first member of her family to attend college when she enrolled as an undergraduate at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas (UNLV). Elected student body president her senior year, Shelley graduated with honors in 1972, earning a B.A. in Political Science. After obtaining her law degree in 1976 from the University of San Diego School of Law, Shelley returned to Las Vegas and began her professional career. She is a former member of the Nevada State Legislature and served as a Regent for the State’s University and Community College System.

 

Working to meet the needs of the rapidly growing Las Vegas Valley is a key focus of Shelley’s work in Congress. Her priorities include jump-starting the economy; creating jobs; helping families stay in their homes; securing more resources for education and transportation in southern Nevada; increasing access to affordable, high-quality health care for America’s families; developing clean, alternative energy sources; fighting the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump; protecting Social Security; and strengthening American alliances abroad to work toward international stability and peace.

 

Congresswoman Berkley is the proud mother of two sons: Sam, who is studying for an undergraduate degree at UNLV, and Max, who graduated from the UNLV Boyd School of Law in 2009. In March of 1999, Shelley married Dr. Lawrence Lehrner, a practicing Nephrologist in Las Vegas who has two children of his own: David, who is putting his graduate degree from Indiana University to use at Southwest Gas, and Stephanie, a family practice physician.