WASHINGTON, March 15, 2018 — The American Bar Association has joined with the Library of Congress and its Law Library to present a special traveling exhibit commemorating the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta. The National Judicial College – University of Nevada, Reno will host the traveling exhibit on Magna Carta from April 9 to May 25.
The exhibit will feature images of objects from the Library of Congress collections, an interpretive video and other materials illustrating Magna Carta’s influence throughout the centuries and how it came to be recognized as the foundation of modern democracy.
Benes Aldana, president of the National Judicial College, said, “The NJC is honored to host an exhibition that illustrates the historical foundations for the rule of law. The exhibition will be viewed by judges from across the nation, as well as people from the local Reno community.”
The National Judicial College is open 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The exhibit will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free. The college is on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno, at the Judicial College Building. The secure front entrance is on Jodi Street. The exhibit will be in the first-floor lobby. For more information, call 1-800-255-8343 or email info@judges.org.
The ABA Standing Committee on the Law Library of Congress unveiled “Magna Carta: Enduring Legacy 1215-2015” at the ABA Annual Meeting in Boston in August 2014. Curated by the Library of Congress, the exhibit features 16 banners, 13 of which reflect spectacular images of Magna Carta and precious manuscripts, books and other documents from the Library of Congress’ rare book collections. The exhibit also incorporates a video, produced by the Library of Congress, showing the law librarian and the exhibit curator handling selected materials depicted in the exhibit and explaining their significance. The exhibit is to raise awareness about Magna Carta’s enduring influence and to highlight treasures held by the Library and its Law Library.
The principles found in Magna Carta played a fundamental role in establishing the supremacy of the law in our constitutional, democratic society, including concepts embraced by the Founding Fathers in the Bill of Rights. The importance of Magna Carta to American laws and freedoms was highlighted at the ABA Annual Meeting as Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts Jr. spoke of its significance. “When we talk about Magna Carta today, we’re not celebrating antiquated relics of a time long past,” he said. “Instead, we are referring to a small collection of provisions that express kernels of transcendent significance.”
For information about hosting the ABA Magna Carta Traveling Exhibit, please contact Elissa Lichtenstein at elissa.lichtenstein@americanbar.org.
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With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. Follow the latest ABA news at www.abanow.org and on Twitter @ABANews.