[citation needed] Nickerson operated a solo legal practice after passing the California Bar, and often affiliated himself with attorneys addressing civil rights issues and lewd conduct cases.

[citation needed] Nickerson successfully argued Baluyut v. Superior Court, (1996) 12 Cal.4th 826, where there was no appearance for Respondent, which case established discriminatory prosecution as a defense in police sting operations which target gay public conduct and ignore identical straight public conduct.

[2] Nickerson was recognized as having "made a sort of mini-career out of defending these cases" on lewd conduct and police sting operations targeting gay men.

[citation needed] These included Bill O'Reilly, who interviewed Nickerson on Fox News in 2007 regarding a series of cases that Nickerson had been arguing on behalf of several hundred defendants related to a sting operation targeting gay men in Fresno, California.

[6] Nickerson successfully argued Baluyut v. Superior Court, (1996) 12 Cal.4th 826, which established discriminatory prosecution as a defense in police sting operations which target gay public conduct and ignore identical straight public conduct.