WASHINGTON, April 23, 2020 — The American Bar Association and the Law Library of Congress will celebrate Law Day 2020 in a free public program, which will be digital due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The live online panel discussion will be held on Thursday, April 30, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. EDT.
The 2020 national Law Day Program, “Social Movement Changing America: The Legacies of the 19th Amendment,” reflects the ABA Law Day theme, “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100.” It also coincides with the Library of Congress exhibition, Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote, which celebrates the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment and its rich but complex legacy.
“The ABA is pleased to offer this live virtual educational opportunity to those who are marking Law Day 2020 and commemorating the centennial of this transformative constitutional amendment for women’s suffrage,” ABA President Judy Perry Martinez said.
What:
“Social Movement Changing America: The Legacies of the 19th Amendment” Presented by the Division for Public Education and the Law Library of Congress
When:
Thursday, April 30 3:30-4:30 p.m. EDT
Where:
Online event
Speakers include Kimberly Atkins, senior news correspondent, WBUR-Boston and MSNBC contributor (moderator); Martha S. Jones, Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor and professor of history, Johns Hopkins University; Thomas Saenz, president and general counsel, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund; and Julie Suk, professor of sociology, political science and liberal studies, City University of New York Graduate Center.
The panelists will discuss:
- Why — and how — should we commemorate the centennial of the 19th Amendment?
- Why does it (still) matter?
- How did the women’s suffrage movement and ratification of the 19th Amendment change America — constitutionally, legally, politically, socially, culturally, domestically?
- How have American women fought for civil and political rights, including the vote, through the power of their voices and their actions?
The event is free and open to members of the media and the public, but registration for the online event is required. For media credentialing, contact Betsy Adeboyejo at 202-662-1039 or [email protected].
Register here for the program.
To view ABA President Judy Perry Martinez Law Day video message, click here.
About Law Day
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. Visit the ABA’s Law Day website (LawDay.org) for Law Day resources.
The ABA is the largest voluntary association of lawyers 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. View our privacy statement on line. Follow the latest ABA news at www.americanbar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews.