Armed with the high honors English degree he earned from UNLV in 1985, College of Liberal Arts Alumnus of the Year could’ve taken his career in a dozen of different directions: communications professional, literary scholar, public-relations specialist, writer, editor. But more than anything, he felt the pull of the law, so shortly after graduation, Morris bolted for the University of Texas School of Law. Three years later, with his juris doctorate in hand, the Reno native returned to his home state.
With a specific interest in estate planning and probate law, Morris worked as an associate attorney at two different firms before opening his own practice in 1992. More than a quarter-century later, Morris remains managing partner of Morris Estate Planning Attorneys, which today specializes in estate planning, probate law, trust administration, asset protection planning, gift planning, and business succession planning.
Besides running his own practice, Morris has been a lecturer and presenter for the a on his particular areas of expertise, including business succession planning, advanced estate planning, and wills, trusts, and estate planning. He co-wrote the booklet Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning, which was published by the Nevada State Bar.
Although it’s been nearly 35 years since Morris walked the UNLV campus as a student, his commitment to his alma mater has never wavered. In addition to serving on the UNLV Foundation Advisory Board since 2011, Morris is a member of the university’s Planned Giving Professional Advisors Council, a post he’s held since 2002. He’s also a Dean’s Associates member for the College of Liberal Arts; a former Silver President’s Association member; and he recently volunteered to speak about estate planning and planned giving at the emeritus faculty luncheon.
Among Morris’s honors, he was named the UNLV Foundation’s 1998 Charitable Planner of the Year, and the following year he won the Foundation’s Chairman’s Award. Morris’s love for UNLV has even filtered down to his family, as he and his wife, Julie, have five children, including two sons — Taylor and Zachary Morris — who graduated from the . Both now practice probate law at their father’s firm.
What does it mean to be a Rebel and have “Rebel Pride”?
I raised my children in Las Vegas and spent many an evening with them attending UNLV basketball and football games. But I really had no idea the amount of Rebel pride these outings instilled in my kids until they graduated high school and left the state to pursue their undergraduate degrees. On several occasions, UNLV’s basketball or football teams played against their university, and they would send me pictures of themselves decked out not in their school’s colors but rather Rebel red.
Later, two of my sons returned to Las Vegas and decided to follow their old man’s footsteps into law. To what law school did they apply, get accepted and eventually graduate from? UNLV’s Boyd School of Law. So it goes without saying that this university has been an integral part of my and my family’s lives, which is why we continue to support it in any way we can.
Speaking of that support, your commitment to UNLV includes several generous gifts. Why has it been important for you to give back to your alma mater?
It’s pretty simple: I want to see UNLV continue to grow and develop as a university, because I know the positive influence an outstanding university can have on an entire community. And as a proud alum, it’s important for me to be at the forefront of that growth and development. I want to use my abilities as a professional in this community to generate support and interest for UNLV, through gifts and endowments that will allow future students the opportunity to attend this great university and obtain an education that will open doors for their future employment.
