Las Vegas Professional License Defense Lawyer

In Nevada, as in almost every other state, a person seeking to practice a profession must first obtain and then retain a license from the state. Dent v. West Virginia, 129 U.S. 114, 122 (1889) (“The power of the State to provide for the general welfare of its people authorizes it to prescribe all such regulations, as in its judgment, will secure or tend to secure them against the consequences of ignorance and incapacity as well as of deception and fraud.”). State and federal courts have consistently upheld the licensing and regulation of professionals under the state’s police power. In Goldfarb v. Virginia State Bar, the U.S. Supreme Court emphasized that “[s]tates have a compelling interest in the practice of professions within their boundaries, and that as part of their power to protect the public health, safety, and other valid interests they have broad power to establish standards for licensing practitioners and regulating the practice of professions.” 421 U.S. 773, 792 (1975). Licensing and regulation assist the state in protecting the public from the negligence, incompetence, and willful misconduct of a professional. Hence, no person has a fundamental right to practice a profession that is not subordinate to the police power of the state to license and regulate the persons who practice it.

The United States Supreme Court has recognized that the right to follow a chosen profession, free from unreasonable governmental interference, is within the liberty concepts of due process of law. U.S. v. Robel, 389 U.S. 258, 265 n.11 (1967). See also Greene v. McElroy, 360 U.S. 474, 492 (1959) (holding that revocation of security clearance denied traditional due process rights These holdings rest on the severity of the consequences that typically result when a professional’s license is suspended or revoked.

In Waller v. State, the court of civil appeals aptly described these consequences as follows:

The right to practice a profession has been called a property right, but it is more. To obtain a license and proficiency requires the expenditure of money and years of preparation, attended by toil and self-denial. Such right is the capital stock of its possessor from which dividends are expected sufficient to protect him from the infirmity of old age, and to provide his family with the comforts of life. There is moreover a prestige and good name and should be a pride attached to the practice of an honorable profession superior to any material possessions. To cancel a professional license is to take the entire capital stock of its possessor and to leave him in most instances the equivalent of bankruptcy. But it does much more than this; it takes from him his professional standing and in a manner whatever good name he has, which leaves him “poor indeed.” Louisville & Nashville R.R. Co. v. Tomlinson, 68 S.W.2d 601, 605 (Tex. Civ. App.-Amarillo 1934, writ ref’d).

• Real Estate & Mortgage Brokers
• Nurses
• Pharmacists
• Accountants
• Funeral Directors
• Doctors
• Veterinarians 
• Social Workers
• Insurance Agents and Brokers
• Day Care Providers
• Psychiatrists/Psychologists 
• Engineers and Land Surveyors
• Contractors

• Ethical violations
• Criminal convictions
• Sexual misconduct
• Professional negligence
• Substance abuse
• Petitions for reinstatement of revoked licenses
• Petitions for reconsideration
• Investigations
• Citations and fines

The severity of professional license dispute outcomes is dependent on many variables such as the types of professional license you have, the wrongdoing you are accused of, and the defense you have to dispute the claims made against you. In most professional license disputes, there are a number of outcomes that are most likely to occur.

• License Revocation
• License Suspension
• License Stayed Suspension
• License Probation
• License Application Rejected
• License Application Accepted
• License Kept

Going into a professional license dispute unprepared can be devastating to both your professional and personal lives. The potential consequences for license allegations can sink your career if not handled correctly. Although many suspensions are eventually lifted, and some revoked licenses can be reinstated, the stain on your credibility and reputation afterwards can negatively alter the way you conduct your business. Having a Las Vegas professional license lawyer who specializes in administrative law is a significant advantage and will put you in the best position possible for a positive outcome in your case.