Make Every Day Your Law Day

Published on: 
05/12/2016
Spring has sprung. The beginning of May, though, marked more than just the heart of the spring season; for the last 59 years, it has also represented Law Day.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed May 1 as Law Day in 1958, and Congress turned it into an official joint resolution three years later. It celebrates the "nation's commitment to the rule of law," according to the American Bar Association's website.

I usually write about the business of law, but that naturally begins with the law itself, because without the law and lawyers who practice it, there would be no business. So let's consider Law Day.

Law Day was codified in the United States Code (how many of you knew that?) in 36 U.S.C. §113. Its purpose is as follows:

  1. in appreciation of their liberties and the reaffirmation of their loyalty to the United States and of their rededication to the ideals of equality and justice under law in their relations with each other and with other countries; and

  2. for the cultivation of the respect for law that is so vital to the democratic way of life.

The ABA creates a theme for each Law Day. Past themes include "Legal Literacy" (1988), "Justice for All" (1993), "Celebrate Your Freedom: Due Process Guarantees" (1998), and "American Democracy and the Rule of Law: Why Every Vote Matters" (2014).

This year's theme is "Miranda: More Than Words." According to the ABA website, the theme explores "the procedural protections afforded to all of us by the U.S. Constitution, how these rights are safeguarded by the courts, and why the preservation of these principles is essential to our liberty."

My columns often focus on strengthening one's practice through matters peripheral to actual legal matters, such as making sure that the client is No. 1; management aspects of running a legal practice, including the importance of modern marketing and emerging technology; and the financial end of running a legal practice, including up-to-date billing methods and prompt collections. But none of that matters if the underlying services — the legal services themselves — are subpar.

So let Law Day serve as a reminder that you have the privilege of practicing a vocation "vital to the democratic way of life." Not everyone feels that honor and responsibility day to day. To maintain it, you have a responsibility to tend to the business of law, so that you may continue to enjoy the practice of law. And every day — not just a day in May — should be a day to remember that.

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