At a Glance
Jack handles litigation concerning education law, special education disputes, public agency litigation and other types of substantial matters.
He is the recipient of numerous honors related to both his practice and his service to the community.
Jack was the first African-American to chair the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce.
Jack B. Clarke, Jr. is a partner in the Education Law practice group of the Riverside office of Best Best & Krieger LLP. He joined BB&K right after graduating from law school, and has made his mark on the community and the profession since then as a leader both within and outside the firm.
Jack handles litigation concerning education law, special education disputes, public agency litigation and other types of substantial matters. Jack has successfully defended school districts and other education clients in student disciplinary matters, civil rights and Constitutional claims and special education due process hearings.
Jack is the recipient of numerous honors related to both his practice and his service to the community. From the Riverside County Bar Association and California Law Business magazine to the NAACP and the American Diabetes Association, Jack’s contributions as an attorney and human and civil rights advocate are celebrated by these prestigious organizations. Jack was the first African -American to chair the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce and he also served as chair of the Mayor’s Use-of-Force Review Panel in 1999 following the high-profile police shooting death of Tyisha Miller in Riverside, California.
Jack is a frequent speaker on special education matters. He speaks on subjects such as manifestation determination procedures and assessment procedures for children with exceptional needs. Jack presented at the Association of California School Administrators, the Safe Schools Conference, North Coastal Consortium of Special Education, McGeorge School of Law, Trujillo & Trujillo, the Riverside County Bar Association, the Speech and Language Pathologists Committee No. 10, the Riverside County Office of Education, LRP, and several school districts and SELPAs within Southern California.
In law school, Jack was elected to the Order of the Barristers, a national honorary society for outstanding achievement in courtroom advocacy, and served as staff writer on the Legislative Review of the Pacific Law Journal. He also received the United States Law Week Award for Outstanding Contributions to the law school community. He is a graduate of the National Institute on Trial Advocacy.
Education
Admissions
Memberships
- California State University Board of Trustees
- Riverside County Bar Association, immediate past president, 2020-2021
- The City of Riverside Innovation District Working Group, co-chair
- Raincross Group
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Frank Miller Outstanding Civic Achievement Award, Mission Inn Foundation, 2015
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Riverside African-American Historical Society Annual Meeting Award, 2015
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Terry Bridges Outstanding Attorney Award, Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court, 2012
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Omar Stratton Award, NAACP, 2011
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Father of the Year Award, American Diabetes Foundations, 2011
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James Krieger Meritorious Services Award, Riverside County Bar Association, 2010
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Legal Eagle Award, Riverside Opportunity Center, 2009
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100 Most Influential Lawyers in California, California Law Business
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Event
Feb 03, 2021
Every Child Counts: The Latest in Student Services and Special Education
2021 Association of California School Administrators' Every Child Counts Symposium
Authored Articles & Publications
Dec 28, 2020
Partner Jack Clarke Honors Colleague John Brown
Riverside Lawyer Magazine Feature on Brown, the Krieger Meritorious Service Award Winner
Press Releases
Sep 28, 2020
Partner John E. Brown Receives James H. Krieger Meritorious Service Award
Riverside County Bar Association Honors Long-Term Community Service
Event
Feb 05, 2020
ACSA's 2020 Every Child Counts Symposium
Association of California School Administrators
Press Releases
Jul 03, 2019
Partner Appointed to Calif. Judicial Selection Advisory Committee
Jack Clarke Will Advise Governor on Judicial Appointments
BB&K In the News
Aug 29, 2017
Riverside Students Received Backpacks
BB&K’s Annual Operation Backpack Came to Hawthorne Elementary
BB&K In the News
May 26, 2016
Riverside Community Leaders Examining Innovation District for Riverside
BB&K Partner Jack B. Clarke, Jr. is Co-Chair of Mayor’s Innovation District Working Group
Presentations
- "The Litigation Explosion – What Can We Do in the Real World to Decrease Conflict," Association of California School Administrators Every Child Counts Symposium, Jan. 14, 2022
- "Hot Topics," Association of California School Administrators Academy, March 20, 2021
- "Attorney Panel: Mental Health – Lessons Learned," Residential Treatment Center (RTC) Fair, Orange County Department of Education, April 8, 2019
- "State & Federal Laws Affecting Special Education," Special Education Academy, Association of California School Administrators, March 16, 2019
- "The Difficult Issue of When a Student’s Mental Health Condition Intertwines with the Student’s Education: A Legal and Clinical Examination," 2019 Every Child Counts Symposium, Association of California School Administrators, Feb. 13, 2019
- "State & Federal Laws Affecting Special Education," Association of California School Administrators Special Education Academy, Aug. 25, 2018
- "The Esoteric Aspects of Preparing for Due Process Hearings: From the Obvious to the Hidden," Solano County SELPA, April 13, 2018
- "What are Student Records and What are Public Records," Association of California School Administrators’ Every Child Counts Symposium, Feb. 15, 2018
- "State and Federal Laws Impacting Special Education," Association of California School Administrators Special Education Academy, Feb. 10, 2018
- "Why Can’t We All Just Get Along? Thoughts on Meaningful Parent Participation and Some Practical Suggestions on Improving Parent Communications from a Legal Perspective," Association of California School Administrators Every Child Counts Symposium, Feb. 2, 2017
- "Discipline/Behavior Issues," Association of California School Administrators' Special Education Academy, Jan. 27, 2017
- Panelist, Orange County Special Education Alliance's Special Education Legal Panel, Jan. 26, 2017
- "Behavior/Discipline Issues," Association of California School Administrators' Special Education Academy, Feb. 26, 2016
- "Navigating a Legal Swamp: How Does the IDEA Interact with the Americans with the Americans with Disabilities Act and with Section 504," Association of California School Administrator's Every Child Counts Symposium, Jan. 15, 2016
- "Special Education Update: The Questions Remain the Same...The Answers Continue to Evolve," BB&K Special Education Seminar, Oct. 30, 2015
