Lawyers, judges and bar groups celebrate Law Day 2016 around the country
With May 1 falling on a Sunday this year, many annual Law Day celebrations and activities are being held before or after the actual day.
And, because 2016 will mark the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s iconic Miranda v. Arizona decision, it is front and center in many of this year’s activities.
“Miranda: More than Words” is the central theme of Law Day 2016. In the May issue of the ABA Journal, Brown calls on the profession to make sure that all Americans are aware of their Miranda rights and know how to use them.
“This helps to guarantee due process,” she writes. “Law Day 2016 is a start, but we must continue our vigilance and not allow deviations in interpretations that could allow law enforcement to sidestep Miranda.”
Around the country, Law Day events already held included a panel discussion Thursday on the Miranda at Oklahoma’s Cameron University, as KSWO and the Lawton Constitution reported, and a program for top high school students held by state and federal judges Thursday at Georgia’s Glynn County Courthouse, as the Brunswick Reporter detailed.
On Friday, some 300 students from area high schools arrived at the Lake County Courthouse in suburban Chicago for a program there celebrating the rule of law that included a mock trial, seminars on crime scene investigation and social media issues, and tours of the county jail and coroner’s office.
“Law day is one of the highlights of the year for our courthouse,” Chief Judge Jorge Ortiz told the Daily Herald, which reported that the county bar association, state’s attorney’s office, public defender’s office and other groups participated.
“The entire legal community takes pride in teaching students the differing aspects of the legal system,” Ortiz said. “Teaching students to have respect for the law is vital to our democratic way of life.”
Upcoming events include:
• A free legal clinic Saturday morning in Glendale and Phoenix, Arizona, that is open to the public and requires no pre-registration. A KNXV story gives details.
• A 5K run Saturday morning in Erie, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Erie County Bar Association, as GoErie.com explains.
• A May 4 program at Courthouse Park in downtown Fresno, California, that is free and open to the public. It will feature a panel discussion by judges and lawyers, as well as information booths, reports the Fresno Bee.
