Michael Gebhart is a Rebel through and through. He has earned three degrees from UNLV: a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, a Master in Public Administration, and a law degree as part of the charter class at the Boyd School of Law.
Along the way, Gebhart picked up more than a decade of law enforcement experience and years as a human resources executive. He's spent the last 12 years as an employment and construction law attorney. He will now be a professor in-residence at the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, where he will teach employment and hospitality law.
"I really love to teach. I can share my experience with students. I can walk them through cases I've actually tried," he said.
Why UNLV?
Because I'm a Rebel. (Laughs) But really, I have three degrees from here. I am a Rebel to the bone. This is home.
Where did you grow up?
I wasn't born in Las Vegas, but I was raised here. My parents moved here when I was four.
What's the biggest misconception about your field?
That lawyers can't have fun and that law can't be an entertaining and happy career. People like to make fun of lawyers. They say we're out for ourselves. I think people really misunderstand that almost every aspect of almost every day of their life is touched by the law. You interact with people and there are societal laws about conduct. When you go into a bank, there are financial laws. Everything you do is affected by law. Lawyers sometimes get a bad rap. Like police officers, you need lawyers. Otherwise there'd be chaos.
What's the biggest challenge in your field?
Staying on top of the ever-changing regulations in employment law. With the new healthcare act coming out and with wage and hour laws under the microscope, things are never stagnant. Staying on top of all the details takes a lot of focus. Millions of dollars are at stake. Facebook, Instagram, and other forms of social media raise a gamut of new questions concerning privacy in the workplace. It never ceases to change.
What inspired you to get into your field?
I knew I wanted to be a lawyer when I was 5 years old. My mom always said I argued about everything. So I might as well make a living at it.
This is my fourth career. My parents weren't well off and couldn't send me to college. So I decided to find a good stable career that had benefits and retirement. When I turned 21, the police department was hiring. It was sort of a fluke. I ended up doing it for 10 years.
After that I worked for the City of Las Vegas as a human resource executive handling all aspects of public sector employment. Along the way, I put myself through school. UNLV was where I spent my evenings.
I really wanted to be an attorney, but Nevada didn't have a law school at the time. I followed UNLV's efforts to open a law school very closely. I jumped at the chance to be a member of the charter class, and I'm very proud of that accomplishment.
Proudest moment in your life?
I'm a dad and have three wonderful children and an amazing wife. It's being a father and partner. I guess it happens every day for me.
One tip for success?
Always plan and keep your eyes on your goals. Never forget you're going to have ups and downs and you're going to have failures that make you stronger in the long run. I've had my fair share of failures. I once made a poor decision on a case where I thought I had a slam dunk and went to trial. The jury didn't see the facts the way I saw them. The next time I had a consultant jury. I haven't lost since.
If you could fix one thing in the world, what would it be?
Prejudice. As an employment lawyer, you see it firsthand in the workplace and the impact it has on business. It's a social cancer we all suffer from. It hurts all of us, not just in the workplace. I've seen the impact, the negativity.
Who was your favorite professor and why?
Professor Robert Correales of Boyd Law School. He made it real. He brought experience and made it interesting. It wasn't just him lecturing out of a book. He made it so you really understood the law.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I met my wife on Match.com. She lived in Indianapolis at the time. Before we met, we spoke on the phone for hours. Once we talked for eight hours non-stop. Our first date, and our first meeting, was in Boston at a Patriots-Colts game - she is a big football fan, too. I knew I'd marry her that day. Best decision I've ever made.
What can't you work without?
My iPhone. Like a lot of us, it's a crutch. It's like my whole life is in my hand.
Who is your hero?
My father. A lot of people say that. But he was a gentleman, a hard worker. He never gave me what I wanted, but always gave me what I needed. He died very young. He talked about retirement, but died unexpectedly and never got to enjoy that. I don't think my dad ever missed a day of work. He worked for the phone company for 30 years. He set a good example for me.
Hobbies?
I like the outdoors; I like to hike and camp. I'm a huge Patriots fan and a Chicago Cubs fan (yeah, I know). I like cook and I'm pretty good at it.
