California Law Day 2012 is May 1
Some people land in law school upon realizing that a liberal arts degree offers few job opportunities and even less job security. Others know early in life that they want to be lawyers. (One of our friends swears that he showed up for his first day of kindergarten with his copy of Black’s Law Dictionary.)
Wherever you fall within the legal career realization spectrum, Law Day is a chance for you to share your knowledge about the law with people in your community who may not fully understand how the legal process works. Which would be most of them.
Congress created Law Day in 1961 as a national day to recognize and celebrate our justice system and the rule of law. Many lawyers and judges host Law Day events to explain the judicial branch at local schools.
While Law Day programs vary nationwide, California public libraries are encouraged to post Law Day displays and host programs to educate the community. So far, the Benicia, Covina, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Tehama County public libraries have indicated that they will have information on the California legal system, self-help resources, and Law Day book displays in celebration of Law Day.
(If your local library isn't on that list, you can always talk to a librarian about helping the library with a display or program. The California Law Day website has recommendations for book and resource displays, and downloadable posters for Law Day events.)
Here are a few other kid-friendly Law Day events that will be happening throughout the state on May 1:
- The Imperial County Free Library will participate in an event at the Superior Court of Imperial County during which librarians will display the library's web-based resources and samples of available self-help books.
- The Riverside County Library System will hold special Law Day-themed story times at five locations throughout Riverside County. Judges from the Superior Court of Riverside County will read to children, and talk about the courts and what a judge does.
- The San Jose Public Library will hold special Law Day-themed story times at six locations through the city. The story times will feature judges from the Superior Court of Santa Clara County reading to children.
- The Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library will host a presentation by a Superior Court of San Joaquin County judge. The presentation is open to the public, but the library has invited a fifth grade class and an eighth grade class from a local charter school to hear the judge's presentation on the theme of this year's Law Day, as well as entertain students' questions about the work of the judge, etc.
In addition to the May 1 events, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye and members of the Judicial Council will meet with justice partners in Sacramento for the first annual Law Day event on May 8 from 10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m. at Secretary of State Constitutional Wall Courtyard in Sacramento.
The Law Day 2012 theme is "No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom."
Related Resources:
- Law Day 2012 (American Bar Association)
- Apply Yourself: Court to Select State Bar Board of Trustees Member (FindLaw's California Case Law Blog)
- Could You Be in Contempt of Court for Being Popular? (FindLaw's California Case Law Blog)