Each year, hundreds of law professionals celebrate Law Day on May 1, and this year is no exception. With the theme Magna Carta, Icon of Liberty, the American Bar Association has a number of ideas and resources available on its website to help those interested in marking the event within their own communities.
Activities marking the day, which was first designated in 1958 by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, will range from luncheons to mock trials to courthouse tours throughout the nation, in an effort to celebrate the country’s legal system and provide consumers with a greater awareness of how today’s courts operate.
In South Holland, Ill., the South Suburban College Legal Studies Department will host its second annual Law Day by hosting a special live court case. Organizers also have planned an opportunity for attendees to ask questions of the Appellate Prosecutor and Appellate Defender, attend a mock crime scene demonstration, and a court reporting demonstration, with the hopes that the event will also generate interest in professions that serve the legal industry.
NCRA members interested in celebrating Law Day are encouraged to contact their local or state bar association to see if they can be part of any celebratory events being planned. Other ideas include hosting court reporting demonstrations at local law schools or high schools.
“We know that unless someone has worked in the legal field or has served as a juror, they probably are not very familiar with what a court reporter is or what it is that we do,” said NCRA member Darcie Cruz, RMR, an official court reporter from Chanute, Kan., and president of the Kansas Court Reporters Association.
In an effort to share information regarding court reporting with some state legislators, Cruz said the association’s lobbyist arranged an opportunity for several KCRA members to make a presentation to the Senate Judiciary Committee recently. She added that the presentation was well received and turned out to be a great way to help showcase the court reporting profession.
“We wanted to make it crystal clear that court reporters are the best and most effective method to capture, preserve, and access the record and that court reporters are absolutely indispensable to the administration of justice,” she said.
The presentation included realtime demonstrations using the latest technology, as well as an overview of how court reporters provide a return on investment to state taxpayers.
“Many of the staffers were captivated by the realtime being displayed on a projector screen. It was quite apparent that the realtime was assisting them as they were furiously typing on their laptops. At the conclusion of the morning’s business, one of the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee came right over and couldn’t wait to get her hands on the reporter’s machine to see just exactly how it worked,” Cruz added.
More information about Law Day 2015 and resources to mark the event is available at americanbar.org.
