Young Lawyers Division celebrates 50th anniversary of Law Day, lawyers volunteer in the classrooms statewide

Fifty years ago President Eisenhower proclaimed the first Law Day a “day of national dedication to the principle of government under law.”  In his proclamation, President Eisenhower declared that such a day “would afford us an opportunity better to understand and appreciate the manifold virtues of such a government and to focus the attention of the World upon them.”

"President Eisenhower challenged us to promote and participate in the observance of Law Day," says Jill Kastner, Young Lawyers Division (YLD) Law Day coordinator. "In keeping with that spirit, the State Bar YLD has encouraged members to celebrate this enduring principle during the 50th anniversary by participating in its Law Day program."

Lawyer Volunteers in the Classroom: The State Bar YLD is celebrating Law Day by sending attorney volunteers into classrooms throughout the state to help educate students about our legal system and the legal profession. Each participating classroom is visited by one or more attorney volunteers who provide a brief, interactive presentation geared specifically for that age group. The attorney volunteers engage the students in question and answer sessions regarding the legal system and what it is like to be a lawyer.

"It's a great opportunity for students to have a positive interaction with an attorney," said one of last year's participants. "Many of our young people have never met a lawyer and all they know about the legal system is what they see on TV. For others who have interacted with an attorney, many have done so under less than ideal circumstances."

"That is why the YLD believes it is important for students of all ages in both public and private schools across Wisconsin to have the opportunity to meet and ask questions of practicing attorneys," says Kastner. "By doing this, students can gain a better understanding and appreciation of how the laws and the practice of law benefits them."