As Las Vegas native Jim Olson looks back on his law career, he keeps returning to the case that gouged a sooty scar on his memory, altered legal practice and technology in Southern Nevada, captured the world's imagination, and changed international building codes-the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino fire of November 21, 1980, that killed 85 people and took eight years to litigate. Olson became involved with the litigation because his firm, Cromer, Barker, and Michaelson, represented the MGM Grand's insurance company, INA, Insurance Company of North America. Juggling thousands of claims, Olson ended up working with the MGM's corporate counsel in Los Angeles, a legal firm in Denver, Lloyd's of London, and a special master; renting additional office space for taking depositions; hiring graveyard-shift transcribers, and purchasing the legal world's latest technological marvel-a fax machine. As a first grader, five-year-old Jim was known to walk home during the school day whenever the St. Joseph nuns scared him. As an attorney whose career path was inspired by Perry Mason and augmented by his argumentative streak, Jim offers insights into litigation about some of Southern Nevada's most iconic buildings, signs, and spaces. In this interview, he recalls his mentors, Al Gunderson, George Cromer, Bill Barker, and Kent Michaelson. He talks of construction defect cases including his first MGM Grand litigation, in which his firm represented the architect, Martin Stern, when faulty siding fell off the building, and the 1994 lawsuits that followed when the top of the newly constructed, 365-foot Las Vegas Hilton sign blew down in a windstorm. He shares tales of legendary fellow attorney Mike Hines and his annual Nevada Bar Association parties on the Mike Hines Ranch, and he speaks to litigation between Hank Greenspun, Howard Hughes, and Hughes Tool Company.

Includes meeting agenda and minutes. CSUN Session 12 Meeting Minutes and Agendas.

The Sterling Gardens sits at 1808 Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet.
Site address: 1808 Fremont St
Sign owner: PROVIEW SERIES 19 LLC
Sign details: 1947 was the original construction year of the building for motel/ commercial living accommodations and has been that since its construction under many different names most recently known as the Bonanza Lodge Motel before the Sterling Gardens renovated and reopened in 2013. This boutique hotel is known for their Western Themed room as well as a retro 1960's themed room as well.
Sign condition: 5 - renovated sign
Sign form: Pylon
Sign-specific description: This roadside pylon has a rectangular base that holds a reader board box that they can add or take out different plastic backlit advertisements. On the back corner of this portion there is a black blade that comes out that has white squares that encase the blue mid century modern font that spell out "STERLING" vertically. On both the left and right side of the "G" there are two blue diamond shapes lined with skeletal neon. Under the vertical letters of "STERLING", horizontally is "Gardens" spelled out in green skeletal neon. Next to the cursive gardens word they have a small red skeletal neon "No Vacancy" sign.
Sign - type of display: Neon and backlit
Sign - media: Steel and plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: Reader board
Sign environment: On the far East side of Fremont this location is surrounded by many other motels and boutique hotels.
Sign - date of installation: Original from Bonanza - c. 1950s
Sign - date of redesign/move: 2013 when it became the Sterling Gardens
Sign - thematic influences: Since this sign was a repurposed sign it shows how many of the motels on East Fremont have been around since the 40's/50's but have changed names and ownership many times, but they still keep the older signs and just fit it to their own needs.
Sign - artistic significance: The font that they use for the letters "Sterling" is a classic Mid century modern font that you could have seen for an older diner or movie theater/drive in.
Survey - research locations: assessor's website
Survey - research notes: Sterling Gardens Website http://www.sterlinggardenshotel.com/
Surveyor: Emily Fellmer
Survey - date completed: 2017-08-31
Sign keywords: Neon; Backlit; Steel; Plastic; Reader board; Roadside; Pole sign

Black and white photograph of Ruth Andre with her new car, her dog, and her father.