CARSON CITY - Justice Myron Leavitt says he's seeking re-election to the Nevada Supreme Court - a job he terms the most satisfying of his 40-year public service career.
''I really enjoy what I am doing,'' he said. ''We are all getting along. Our challenge is to keep up with the litigation coming in and reduce the backlog to zero.''
In the past year and a half, the Supreme Court has cut the backlog of uncompleted cases by 580. The remaining backlog was 1,941 cases on March 30.
Leavitt, 69, has been a justice of the peace, a district judge for 15 years, a Las Vegas city councilman, a Clark County commissioner and state lieutenant governor.
In 1982, he lost the Democratic primary for governor.
Leavitt was elected to a two-year term in a newly created seat in the Supreme Court in 1998. If re-elected this year, he'll get a six-year term.
While Leavitt engaged in bitter campaigns against Justice Bob Rose for the Supreme Court in 1988 and 1994, he said he bears no animosity toward Rose or other court members. He narrowly lost both races against Rose.
Under Rose's leadership, Leavitt said the court has had a positive influence on the statewide court system. In particular, he said, a uniform system for gathering court statistics has been established.
In addition, he said the court in May will meet with judges from around the state.
''We will discuss ways to improve the judiciary,'' Leavitt said. ''I think this is the first time this has happened.''