Center for Constitutional Law | College of Liberal Arts

Empowering our community through stronger constitutional education

By uniting academic collaboration, community outreach and dynamic workshops for educators, this Center will cultivate a profound understanding of constitutional principles—shaping Nevada’s legal and civic landscape for generations to come.

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Transforming legal studies

Established by the College of Liberal Arts, Dean Casilde Isabelli and Rick Trachok, the Center fosters interdisciplinary research and discussions on the U.S. Constitution’s impact on modern society.

Through academic collaboration, community outreach, and innovative workshops for educators, the Center ensures a deep understanding of constitutional principles, shaping Nevada’s legal and civic future for generations to come.

The Center serves as a hub for advanced research in constitutional law and related fields, while also offering valuable resources and expertise to the entire state of Nevada through scholarly inquiry, instruction and community outreach.

Principal objectives

State impact

As Nevada continues to grow, the Center for Constitutional Law will play a pivotal role in shaping the state’s legal and civic future.

In collaboration with the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and under the leadership of Dean Leah Chan Grinvald, the Center will focus on innovative courses, civic education, and essential research. Dean Grinvald emphasizes the importance of civic education for high school and college students, as well as their teachers, stating, “I’m excited for the impact on our state that the Center will inevitably have. Civic education is vital to educating our future leaders of Nevada.”

With its commitment to these efforts, the Center, alongside the College of Liberal Arts, ensures that the values of the U.S. Constitution will continue to guide academic thought and democratic practice for generations to come.

Meet the Executive Director

An accomplished attorney and legal educator, Rick is excited to channel his lifelong passion for law, shaping the next generation of legal minds. Trachok has served as the Chair of the Nevada Board of Bar Examiners since 2000 and was a member of the University of Nevada System Board of Regents, serving as its Vice-chair from 2013-2015 and its Chair from 2015-2017. He is a governor’s appointee for the Davidson Academy, and a member of the Guinn Center for Public Policy Board of Directors. Additionally, he is a member of the advisory boards for the Berkeley Center for Law and Business and the Civil Justice Research Initiative. Trachok is currently Senior Counsel with McDonald Carano, focusing his practice on international regulatory and gaming law.

Trachok is often recognized by his peers and consistently included in the annual Best Lawyers rankings for Gaming Law, Energy Law and was designated lawyer of the year for Administrative and Legislative Law in 2021 and for Gaming Law in 2022. He served 15 years as an adjunct professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, teaching construction law in the graduate construction management program (1988-2003). He was also an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law from 2006 to 2013, teaching the Laws of International Trade. Trachok is currently a Lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, teaching the Law of International Trade, 1L Contracts, Contracts for LLMs, Secured Transactions and Gaming Law. Through his leadership at the Center for Constitutional Law, Trachok is committed to continue shaping meaningful dialogue around constitutional law while fostering the development of future legal scholars.

Rick Trachok

Executive Director

Center for Constitutional Law

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