April 28, 2009
Supreme Court Justices to Recognize Law Day
In recognition of the annual day set aside to celebrate the rule of law, Justices of the Supreme Court of Ohio will participate in Law Day events surrounding Friday, May 1.
In 1957, American Bar Association President Charles S. Rhyne envisioned a special day to celebrate the United States legal system. President Eisenhower established Law Day in 1958 as a day of national dedication to the principles of government under law. In 1968, Congress designated May 1 as the official date for celebrating Law Day.
This year’s theme – “A Legacy of Liberty: Celebrating Lincoln’s Bicentennial” – marks the 200-year birth of President Lincoln, who devoted much of his adult life to the practice of law.
Chief Justice Moyer noted the appropriateness of a Law Day celebration centered on Lincoln’s legacy because his life was shaped by his 25 years as a lawyer. “According to one historian, when Lincoln stood before a jury, he appealed to the jurors’ sense of fairness, morality and justice, the same values that guided him through the Civil War,” he said. “Lincoln as president was never far from Lincoln as lawyer.”
Among the activities in which Justices will participate:
- Chief Justice Moyer will speak and Justice Maureen O’Connor will attend the Akron Red Mass celebration at noon, Friday, May 1, at St. Bernard Church, 44 University Ave., Akron. Dating to 13th Century Europe, judges and lawyers of all faiths gather at Red Mass annually to renew their commitment of service to the rule of law.
- Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton will deliver the keynote address at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Officer of the Year ceremony at 11:30 a.m., Friday, May 1, at the Reginald A. Wilkinson Corrections Training Academy, 11781 State Route 762, Orient.
- Justice O’Connor will serve as keynote speaker at the Akron Bar Association’s Law Week Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. today at The Quaker Square Inn at The University of Akron, 135 S. Broadway, Akron.
- Justice Judith Ann Lanzinger will speak and Justice Terrence O’Donnell will attend the Sandusky County Bar Association Law Day Luncheon at noon, Friday, May 1, at Fremont Country Club, 2340 E. State St., Fremont.
- Justice Robert R. Cupp will be the guest speaker at the Medina County Bar Association’s Law Day luncheon at 11:30 a.m., Friday, May 1, at Rustic Hills Country Club, 5399 River Styx Road, Medina.
For more information about Law Day, visit the American Bar Association’s Web site at: http://www.abanet.org/publiced/lawday/2009/home.shtml.
Contact: Chris Davey or Bret Crow at 614.387.9250.