The Nevada Constitution: Individual Liberty & The Criminal Legal System
Individual Liberty & the Criminal Legal System
Day: Friday
Date: September 25, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: Thomas & Mack Moot Courtroom Building at UNLV
This is a crucial moment for state constitutions, civil rights, & criminal law. After decades of deference to federal case law, a growing legal movement looks to independently interpret and apply state constitutional rights free from the federalism constraints that bind federal courts, and to rely instead on state-specific text, history, and policies.
This event will highlight the importance and possibilities of Nevada's Constitution to a broad legal audience, providing both practical guidance and ideas for further research and doctrinal development.
Schedule:
8:15 AM - Light Breakfast and Check In
9:00 AM - Opening Remarks
- Leah Chan Grinvald - Dean, William S. Boyd School of Law
- Kristen Bell - Associate Professor of Law, Faculty Director, Public Service and Policy Program, University of Oregon School of Law
- Meredith Esser - Associate Professor of Law, William S. Boyd School of Law
9:30 AM - Mack v. Williams: Possibilities and Pitfalls
- Moderator: Chris Peterson, ACLU of Nevada
- Julie Murray - Co-Director, American Civil Liberties Union’s State Supreme Court Initiative
- Randy Fiedler - Assistant Federal Public Defender, District of Nevada
- Ben Field - Attorney, Institute for Justice
11:00 AM - State Constitutional Limits on Civil Asset Forfeiture
- Moderator: Frank Rudy Cooper - William S. Boyd Professor of Law and Director of the Program on Race, Gender, and Policing
- John Fortin - Attorney, McDonald & Carano
- Jordan T. Smith - Shareholder, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
- Lisa Rasmussen - Attorney, McLetchie Law Group
- Ben Field - Attorney, Institute for Justice
12:15 PM - Lunch
1:15 PM - State Constitutionalism and Excessive Punishment
- Moderator: Kristen Bell, Associate Professor of Law, Faculty Director, Public Service and Policy Program, University of Oregon School of Law
- Justice Mary I. Yu - Washington Supreme Court (via zoom)
- Megan Byrne - Staff Attorney, ACLU Capital Punishment Project
- Jeff Ellis - Attorney
- Jarret Orcutt - Commissioner, Nevada Sentencing Commission
2:25 PM - Views from the Bench: The Judicial Role in State Constitutionalism, Featuring Justices of the Supreme Court of Nevada
- Moderator: Maryam Ahranjani, Professor of Law, William S. Boyd School of Law
- Chief Justice Douglas Herndon
- Justice Linda Marie Bell
- Justice Elissa F. Cadish
- Justice Kristina Pickering
- Justice Lidia S. Stiglich
4:15 PM - Networking Reception
Registration Required
Registration Deadline September 21 or once we reach capacity
Registration Required
Registration Deadline September 21 or once we reach capacity
Register Now!
September 25, 2026
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
BSL Thomas and Mack Moot Court Facility