Richard Clark has seen first-hand what the study of the Constitution of the United States can do for young people.

Clark, who has taught the U.S. Constitution as well as United States Government and U.S. History in the Washoe County School District to high school students for more than two decades, likens an intimate understanding of the Constitution to something “we have to learn, we have to experience,” in order for a person to become an active and engaged citizen.

“We do not bleed freedom or liberty, we have to learn it, we have to experience it, and we have to fight to keep it,” said Clark, who is considered one of Northern Nevada’s driving forces in the teaching of the Constitution.

While at Reno High School and now at Debbie Smith High School in Reno, Clark’s student teams have earned renown for their high placings in the “We The People” U.S. Constitution program; he’s produced numerous “We The People” state champions as well as teams that have advanced to the national finals.

“The foundation of education is to build citizens for the future,” Clark added, “and the next generation of workers, from farmers to AI engineers, from construction workers to medical professionals who have to know and understand where our rights and liberties come from in order to protect and expand them for the future.”

The future. It’s a destination that Clark considers often in his daily role as an educator. In looking to the future, Clark sees a unique opportunity to provide more resources and support for middle school and high school teachers to invigorate their U.S. Constitution curriculum. This is why Clark is excited about what the University of Nevada, Reno’s Center for Constitutional Law, which opened in spring 2025 as part of the College of Liberal Arts, promises to do.

“(Former Supreme Court Justice) Anthony Kennedy once said in an interview with CSPAN for a book on the Supreme Court that, ‘We have this thing called the Declaration of Independence, this document called the Constitution, in common. They define us … You know, you don’t take a DNA test to see if you bleed freedom. It’s taught and it’s learned. Each generation has to learn all over again what the Constitution means,’” Clark said. “This idea is at the heart of the Center for Constitutional Law at the University of Nevada. It is an opportunity to help train those who will teach our next generation of active, engaged citizens. The time is ripe for the Center to come to Northern Nevada, and I hope that teachers and other members of the community share in this extraordinary opportunity.”

The Center for Constitutional Law’s executive director, Rick Trachok, a University alumnus and longtime leader in Nevada’s legal community, likens the Center to “a focal point” at the University for legal education, civic engagement, scholarly research and as a platform for applying and sharing the principles of one of the world’s most enduring democratic documents.

Trachok said it was a conversation with his son, Mat, also an attorney, that really brought about the idea of the creation of a Center for Constitutional Law.

“I’ve been teaching law forever,” Trachok said, who has been an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco as well as currently at the UC-Berkeley School of Law. “My son and I were talking, and he said, ‘Pop, it’s great that you are teaching where you are, but you should really be teaching here, at the high school level. High school is where we need the help. There are great teachers out there who still need the help.’ I thought about that a lot. What if we were to create a Center for Constitutional Law, which would help our middle school and high school teachers, and perhaps have a speaker’s series where we bring the best minds for Constitutional law in the country to campus, and where we encourage scholarship and research in legal studies.”

The conversation between father and son soon gathered momentum. University President Brian Sandoval was “immediately enthusiastic” about the idea, Trachok said, as was Provost Jeff Thompson. College of Liberal Arts Dean Casilde Isabelli “was all over it” as discussions and planning grew more serious. Another key ally was one of the most respected legal figures in the country, longtime UC-Berkeley School of Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky. The momentum was hard to deny. The Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents approved the proposal for the new Center in September 2024.

Chemerinsky visited Reno in May and was a featured speaker for the Center for Constitutional Law’s official unveiling on campus. Long considered one of the nation’s leading voices on free speech and Constitutional law, Chemerinsky came away from his time on campus impressed with the commitment that the University, and the College of Liberal Arts, had shown for the Center.

Chemerinsky said the Center’s mission is needed now more than ever.

“The University of Nevada Center for Constitutional Law will be very important in educating the public, training teachers and instructing students about the Constitution,” Chemerinsky said. “Its programs will be important for the campus, the state and the country.  At a time when the Constitution is being challenged like never before, there is a great need for this Center. It has a terrific director in Rick Trachok.”

Sandoval, who in addition to serving as the University’s 17th president since 2020 is also a former two-term Nevada governor, federal judge and Nevada attorney general, said the Center will further the institution’s land-grant purpose of providing education, research and engagement in a key area of understanding – the Constitution – that is central to the state’s future.

“The educational experiences provided through our Center for Constitutional Law promise to energize our entire campus,” Sandoval said. “It is going to place us among the leaders in higher education in the effort to uphold and understand one of the most important documents in history. The Center is going to help our entire University examine the U.S. Constitution’s impact on our democratic society through a lens of interdisciplinary thought and collaboration.

“This will not only be a means for our campus, but for our entire community and state that we serve, to deepen our understanding and bring about fresh perspectives on the U.S. Constitution. The fact that we are helping our state’s civics and government teachers through significant outreach makes the Center’s impact something that will be felt throughout the state of Nevada for years to come.”

Isabelli, whose time at the University as a faculty member dates back to 2000, said the Center “represents an extraordinary opportunity to deepen one of the strengths of our college, which is the study of ideas, governance and justice as foundations of a democratic society.”

“The Center aligns with the College’s mission to foster critical inquiry, engaged citizenship, and interdisciplinary scholarship across the humanities, social sciences and arts,” she added. “At a time when civic literacy and constitutional understanding are more vital than ever, this Center positions the University of Nevada, Reno as a leader in shaping thoughtful dialogue about the rule of law and its implications for our state and nation. It connects the classroom to the courtroom, theory to practice, and scholarship to public service. By building bridges among our departments, especially political science, philosophy, history, criminal justice, and others, the Center embodies the collaborative spirit that defines the College of Liberal Arts.”

Isabelli envisions the Center for Constitutional Law’s future to be one of a “dynamic hub where ideas and disciplines intersect, where research, education and community engagement come together to explore how the Constitution comes to shape our lives and our society. … The Center will connect scholarship, teaching and public service in ways that enrich our students and strengthen our state. By bringing together faculty, students, judges and educators, it will promote civic literacy and broaden the conversation about law and society.”

Trachok said that the Center’s near-future plans include a series of quarterly constitutional law speakers, research production through the support of visiting constitutional law scholars, and the pursuit of academic programming in legal studies and constitutional law that will broaden the University’s course and degree portfolio. The Center is collaborating with the University’s Lake Tahoe campus for summer workshops and “We The People” programming for Nevada high school government and civics teachers that will include some of the nation’s finest Constitutional Law experts.

Trachok noted that Chemerinsky has continued his involvement with the Center by volunteering more of his time next summer for the Lake Tahoe campus workshops.

“Erwin said that, ‘By training, I’m a high school teacher, and I want to be on the faculty on your first summer program,’” Trachok said. “He’s an absolute dynamo for all that he does throughout the country with speaking engagements and public appearances. He helped make our first event on campus in May a smashing success. So many people have agreed to help and are excited about what we are doing. That’s why things are starting to fall into place.”

In addition to Trachok, the Center has an advisory board that includes Chemerinsky, former Harrah’s CEO Phil Satre, UNLV Boyd School of Law Dean Leah Chan Grinvald, Richard Clark and Nevada State Supreme Court Justice Kris Pickering.

Trachok noted that having the support of UNLV’s law school dean speaks to the collaborative nature of the Center, which he said is “for all types of Nevadans, from all across the state.”

 

“Leah is very interested in the Center and would like to see us develop partnerships where they could use (the Tahoe campus) for part of the year as a law school campus,” Trachok said. “It seems like that would be a no-brainer for all of us to pursue. We don’t need two law schools in Nevada. I’m hoping she can convince their faculty to make it their northern campus.”

The bottom line, Trachok said, is that the past few months since the campus unveiling in May have been something of a whirlwind for the Center. Teachers like Richard Clark are excited about what the Center’s continued growth and evolution will mean for their future pedagogical successes in teaching the Constitution while involving students in the civic life of their community. Leaders in legal education like Erwin Chemerinsky can’t wait to provide their help and their ideas to position the Center for lasting success. The campus academic community, led by people like CLA Dean Casilde Isabelli, view the Center as yet another transformational bridge connecting the University’s mission with the needs of Nevada.

“I’m a passionate guy and when you are passionate about something, there are things that you just do, without really even hesitating,” Trachok said. “We are excited about it, and it’s been fun. We all feel like we’re contributing, that this is something worth doing. It’s been so exciting to me to see how it is all unfolding. It’s something that really benefits us all.”