“Free speech and a free press are the foundations for a free society,” says ABA President Bob Carlson, who selected this year’s theme. May 1, 2019, will mark the 61st anniversary of Law Day, which is held every year as a celebration of the rule of law in our society.  

For Lucian Pera, the chair of Law Day 2019, this year’s theme “Free Speech, Free Press, Free Society” is timely and vital.  

“The central position that our rights of free speech and free press play not just in our everyday life, but in the way our country works and the way the rule of law works,” says Pera, a former ABA treasurer. “If you do away with the rights of free speech and free press, the whole system is at risk.”

“The theme for Law Day 2019 is particularly relevant because these freedoms have dominated public discourse and debate recently. Law Day will give us all an opportunity to explore these freedoms by examining their history and considering their future.”  The ABA Division for Public Education has designed a planning guide that features tips for organizing an effective Law Day event.  Lesson plans for all ages, handouts, and multimedia toolkits are included in the planning guide, which is available at lawday.org. 

Learn more about these three very important aspects of Law Day 2019 at lawday.org, and check out a gallery of nine historic Supreme Court Decisions.