Law Day, U.S.A., 2011

Proclamation 8665 of April 29, 2011

Law Day, U.S.A., 2011

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

At the core of our Nation's values is our faith in the
ideals of equality and justice under law. It is a
belief embedded in our most cherished documents, and
honored by President Eisenhower when he established Law
Day in 1958 as ``a day of national dedication to the
principles of government under law.'' Each Law Day, we
uphold our commitment to the rule of law and celebrate
its protection of the freedoms we enjoy.

This year, we pay tribute to one of America's Founders
and our second President, John Adams. As a young
attorney in colonial Massachusetts, John Adams was
asked to represent a British officer and eight British
soldiers charged with firing into a crowd and killing
five men in the Boston Massacre. In the face of mass
public outcry and at great personal risk, he accepted
the case and showed the world that America is a nation
of laws and that a fair trial is the right of all
people.

President Adams' legacy of dedication to fairness and
the rights of the accused has been carried forward by
members of the legal profession for more than two
centuries. It is championed by those who represent the
accused and exemplified by women and men who are
devoted to securing equal rights for all, both in
America and around the world.

On this Law Day, I encourage all Americans to celebrate
and reflect upon the example left to us by President
John Adams and our centuries of adherence to the rule
of law. In so doing, we help ensure future generations
will inherit and promote the ideals that help move our
Nation forward.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, in accordance with Public Law
87-20, as amended, do hereby proclaim May 1, 2011, as
Law Day, U.S.A. I call upon all Americans to
acknowledge the importance of our Nation's legal and
judicial systems with appropriate ceremonies and
activities, and to display the flag of the United
States in support of this national observance.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord two
thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.