THE LEGAL LION OF LAUGHLIN LAYS TO REST

Ed Cooper Will Be A Tough Act To Replace

(October 24^th, 2010)

For those of you who haven’t already heard the news, Ed Cooper lost his battle with cancer this last Saturday night. Edward James Cooper, Esq. served this town for many years in a variety of capacities, but it is as the de facto Town Attorney, that he left his biggest mark. He will be remembered best, as the author of Laughlin independence, having written the legislation being carried forward to call for a vote on incorporation including a complete City Charter for the voters approval.

Ed was a tough as nails, no nonsense kind of guy. He believed in common sense and got right to the point. But he also understood the staggering, depth, breadth and complexity that is modern American law, a system that is so bewildering and frustrating to most layman. Ed was a voice in this town for those people and never let the law be used as a tool to confuse and intimidate.

When the county saw no need for a development authority for Laughlin or claimed it would be too complex a task to create, Ed took pen in hand and created one in less than 48 hours. This was typical of the kind of thing Ed did. His participation as a member of the Laughlin Incorporation Committee will be tough to replace. He brought a skill set, not just as an attorney, but as an experienced municipal attorney; it was difficult for anyone, no matter what their professional background, to tell him he didn’t know what he was talking about regarding the legal affairs of an incorporated city. Ed was the expert, not them. The challenges of achieving independence for Laughlin and ending the Occupation will be a lot tougher battle to fight without Coop leading the way.

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