The Honorable Jim C. Shirley was elected to serve in the Sixth Judicial District Court, Department 1, in November, 2014. At the time, the Sixth Judicial District Court encompassed Humboldt, Lander, and Pershing Counties and had two sitting judges.

On July 1, 2015, the Nevada State Legislature passed AB 435 which realigned the Sixth Judicial District and created the Eleventh Judicial District. The newly-created Eleventh Judicial District comprises Lander, Mineral, and Pershing Counties.

Judge Shirley received his Juris Doctorate degree in 1994 from Creighton School of Law in Omaha, Nebraska. He worked in private practice from 1994-2000. From 2000-2002, he served as Deputy District Attorney in Pershing County. In 2002, he was elected Pershing County District Attorney and served until he took office as district court judge.

During his tenure as district attorney, he served on several state commissions, was a member of the Nevada District Attorneys’ Association, as well as the National District Attorneys’ Association. He also served as a special prosecutor in Churchill, Humboldt, and Lander Counties.

Judge Shirley has tried cases in numerous trial courts and has argued cases before the Nevada Supreme Court, Utah Supreme Court, and Utah Court of Appeals. While serving as district attorney in Pershing County, he developed several programs which assisted local merchants and citizens alike which minimized the burden on the judicial system.

Judge Shirley was born in Pioche, Nevada. He is the seventh of eight children. His father, Ernest Shirley, served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He died in 2008. Judge Shirley's mother, Charleen, is a devoted mother and grandmother. Charleen has been very involved in civic functions. She has also ran several successful businesses.

Judge Shirley married his wife, Shari, in 1990. They have four boys: Scot, Robert, Jameson, and Benjamin. They enjoy the lifestyle that rural Nevada offers them and are proud to call Nevada home.