Law Day, held annually on May 1, is a national day that celebrates the rule of law. Law Day provides an opportunity to understand how law and the legal process protect our liberty, strive to achieve justice, and contribute to the freedoms that all Americans share.
The 2022 Law Day theme is “Toward a More Perfect Union: The Constitution in Times of Change.” ABA President Reginal 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.”
To mark Law Day, events are being held around the country, including an ABA program in partnership with the Law Library of Congress on April 28 that featured an online discussion about Constitutional change in the United States, social movements that lead to change and shifts in U.S. Supreme Court jurisprudence. Turner presided over the discussion, and Stephen Wermiel, professor of Practice in Constitutional Law at American University Washington College of Law, served as moderator.
Also in celebration of Law Day, the ABA released its fourth annual Survey of Civic Literacy on April 29. The nationally representative survey assessed public knowledge of laws and principles underlying U.S. democracy, plus public opinion of law-related current events, particularly on voting, ballot access and racial justice. An April 29 panel discussion, moderated by NBC News correspondent Yamiche Alcindor, explored the survey’s results on voting.