ABA to host virtual Law Day launch program, March 8

The American Bar Association will host the Law Day 2022 Launch Program on Tuesday, March 8, from 4 to 5 p.m. The program—which will be held virtually with free registration—will provide suggestions and guidance to inspire people to plan and lead their own Law Day celebrations, including a panel discussion on the Law Day theme, “Toward a  More Perfect Union: The Constitution in Times of Change.”

On this year’s theme, ABA President Reginald Turner said, “Signed in 1787, our Constitution is a dynamic blueprint for government that delegates power, articulates rights and offers mechanisms for change. It reminds us that defining and refining those words might be our oldest national tradition. Each of us has a responsibility to help the United States become a more perfect Union.”

Speakers for the program include Turner; past ABA president (1995-96) Roberta Cooper Ramo, a lawyer at Modrall Sperling in Albuquerque, New Mexico and immediate past president of the American Law Institute; Orlando Lucero, national chair of Law Day; and representatives from the Law Day Activity Award Winners from Alameda County Court, California; Delaware County Bar Association, Pennsylvania and the Judiciary of Guam.

Envisioned in 1957 by then-ABA President Charles S. Rhyne as a national day to recognize the country’s commitment to the rule of law, Law Day was established by President Dwight Eisenhower the following year. Congress issued a joint resolution in 1961 designating May 1 as the official Law Day. Many civic groups and bar associations celebrate with programs, presentations and events.

“The ABA is pleased to offer this special opportunity for anyone to learn more about Law Day and the 2022 theme, which we hope will inspire conversations and actions about how each of us can contributes to “a more perfection union,” said Orlando Lucero, the national Law Day chair.

The ABA provides resources for schools, state and local bar associations, civic organizations and others who are planning programs and activities for public audiences to discuss the theme either live and virtually. The launch program will preview various resources and upcoming programs featured on www.lawday.org.

Resources include:

• An interactive calendar for people to find Law Day events

• Virtual tools for use during events and social media graphics that can be downloaded and used for events

• Downloadable Law Day logo, Zoom background, and email header

• How-to for participating in a national Law Day conversation through video and social media

• Law Day products

• Downloadable high school lesson plans and classroom activities

• Script for podcast outreach opportunities

• Requirements and entry application for the Law Day Activity 2022 Awards

• Example proclamation for use with state or local governments

• Partner resources from the American Lawyers Alliance, Center for Civic Education, Civics 101 Podcast, C-SPAN Television Networks/C-SPAN Classroom, Michigan Supreme Court, Monterey County Office of Education, National Constitution Center, the Center for Teaching the Rule of Law, the World Justice Project, and more.

The public can register for the event online at www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/law-day. The program will also be livestreamed on YouTube and recorded for on-demand viewing.

Law Day is sponsored by the ABA Division for Public Education, whose mission is to promote public understanding of law and its role in society.