Law Day
Each year, Law Day is celebrated nationally on May 1 to honor the rule of law. Law Day underscores how law and the legal process contribute to the freedoms that all Americans share. Law Day also provides an opportunity to recognize the role of courts in this democracy and the importance of jury service to maintaining the integrity of the courts.
Local bar associations, courts, schools, youth groups, and community organizations are encouraged to hold Law Day programs to help people understand how law keeps us free and how our legal system strives to achieve justice.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower established Law Day in 1958 as a way to challenge Americans to understand how the rule of law impacts their lives and to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in a democracy. The State Bar of Texas and the Texas Young Lawyers Association celebrate the importance of the rule of law and its impact on our nation and local communities by hosting statewide editorial, photo, and poster contests based on the American Bar Association Law Day yearly theme. The State Bar sponsors the statewide editorial and photo contest, and co-sponsors the statewide poster contest with the Texas Young Lawyers Association. Local bars and young lawyer affiliates are encouraged to hold local contests and submit their first-place winners in each category to the State Bar for the statewide contest. The State Bar will accept only one entry per category from each local bar association. Entries must place in a local contest to be allowed submission into the statewide contest. Please submit your forms and winning entries digitally via flash drive or email. The deadline for statewide submissions is Wednesday, March 29, 2023.
2023 Law Day Theme
The Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility, and Collaboration
In recent years, tensions in our democratic system have revealed deep divisions in American society. These divisions are aggravated by incivility in public discourse and insufficient understanding among many people about the Constitution and the way American government works. Together, however, we can collaborate to overcome our differences, resolve our disputes, and preserve our democracy and republic. To that end, members of the legal profession can lead the way in promoting civics, civility, and collaboration—the cornerstones of our democracy.
