Department 16 - Honorable Aimee Banales
Biography
Judge Banales serves in Department 16 of the Family Division of the Second Judicial District Court.Before making Reno her home over twenty years ago, Judge Banales attended college at Penn State University and Westmont College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English. Judge Banales went on to receive her Juris Doctorate from Northwestern School of Law, Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.
Judge Banales began her legal career in public service, working as a Deputy Attorney General with the Nevada Attorney General's Office, serving in the Special Prosecutions Unit where she represented the State against writs of habeas corpus, and later represented the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection. A highlight of her time at the Attorney General's Office was arguing two cases in front of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Judge Banales transitioned into private practice, operating a successful family law practice for many years in Reno and litigating cases throughout Northern Nevada. In private practice, Judge Banales remained community focused and served many years as a member in the National Charity League, and she was awarded pro bono attorney of the year for her work with clients who could not afford legal counsel. Judge Banales also became a formally trained mediator to better assist those parties who wished to resolve their disputes outside of court.
In 2017, Judge Banales began serving as a judicial officer upon her appointment as a full-time court Master, and was recently elected District Court Judge in the Family Division for Department 16, beginning her term in January, 2021.
Judge Banales considers it a great honor to serve the community and the court as a judicial officer. She is committed to furthering the mission of the family court to provide fair, efficient, accessible justice under the law, which encourages alternative and non-adversarial dispute resolution, in a manner that serves the public and sustains confidence in the judicial branch of government.