Judge Christopher Tilman may be new to his position at the Boulder Township Justice Court, but he certainly isn’t new to Boulder City. He’s a member of one of the first families of Boulder City, his grandparents being none other than the legendary Lee and Nona Tilman.
His path to local magistrate has been an interesting one. He attended Boulder City schools and graduated from Boulder City High School, before attending University of California, Santa Barbara at where he received degrees in history and anthropology in 1990. He went on to study law at Golden Gate University in San Francisco, and graduated in 1993.
He returned to his Nevada roots and passed the bar in 1993. He’s worked in a variety of roles during his legal career. He was a law clerk for the District Attorney’s office. His primary areas of focus during his 31 year and counting legal career include criminal defense and family law, child welfare and he also represented indigent parents and children in court.
When deciding to run for the Justice Court position previously held by Judge Victor Miller, he felt it was a good time in his life to make this change. His relationship with Judge Miller has been a positive one and they continue to work together while Judge Miller retains the Municipal Court judgeship. He also credits his staff, Randi Steilen, Dena Jimenez and LeighAnn Knapp, with helping him transition to his new role.
Judge Tilman tells us that the most important qualities in a judge are (in no particular order):
- Be prompt.
- Render a decision based on law and available evidence.
- Be kind to people.
Judge Tilman has been happily married to Devon, and they have three children. Wyatt is 27, a diesel mechanic who attends University of Nevada, Las Vegas and College of Southern Nevada. Jay is 23 and a student at University of Nevada, Reno. Ella is 19 and a student at University of Oregon in Eugene, OR. The family has a number of pets as well: 2 cats, 3 dogs including a Great Dane, a Mastiff and a Cattle Dog. They also have chickens and 44 fruit trees. When he’s not doing legal work, Judge Tilman describes himself as a foodie and he’s a big fan of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers.
We wish Judge Tilman continued success in his career, especially as Boulder City’s newest judge!
