May 1 marks the 58th anniversary of Law Day.
Conceived in 1957 by American Bar Association President Charles Rhyne, President Dwight Eisenhower declared May 1, 1958 as the first Law Day.
And in 1961, Congress made it official, establishing by joint resolution May 1 as the official day to celebrate Law Day.
Each year, the American Bar Association chooses a theme to spotlight a particular aspect of the rule of law or legal process and how it impacts our daily lives.
This year’s theme, Miranda: More than Words, celebrates perhaps the most well-known Supreme Court case, Miranda v. Arizona.
The Miranda warning has become ingrained in the fabric of the United States. One can’t watch a crime drama for more than a few minutes without being reminded of the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney and that anything you say may be used against you in a court of law.
You probably know the Miranda warning safeguards our Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. What may be news to some is the foundation for the right against self-incrimination predates the Bill of Rights by hundreds of years.
In 16th and 17th century England, the Court of High Commission and the Court of Star Chamber would occasionally impose the oath ex officio, which required defendants to take an oath swearing to answer truthfully any questions posed by the court.
However, these courts also began to recognize the principle of nemo tenetur prodere seipsum, translated as “no man should be compelled to betray himself.”
This principle was limited in scope and applied to require a credible basis for charges apart from the words of the accused.
Eventually, the Court of High Commission and the Court of Star Chamber were abolished, but defendants were still subject to questioning by the court and by prosecutors.
Similar practices occurred in colonial America, and shortly after the revolution, states began adopting through common law or state constitutions some form of the right against self-incrimination as a repudiation of colonial rule.
By the time the Bill of Rights was added to the U.S. Constitution, so broadly accepted was the principle that there was virtually no debate over its inclusion.
However, the right today is much greater in breadth than applied when the Bill of Rights was first enacted, and that is in no small measure because of Miranda v. Arizona.
The Jacksonville Bar Association celebrates Law Day each year with “Law Week,” a misnomer for a series of events that span roughly the course of a month in late April and May. These events are focused on community service and education.
• Citizenship Day takes place in cooperation with Florida Coastal School of Law. Lawyers from the Jacksonville community and students at FCSL assist applicants for United States citizenship in reviewing and completing their applications.
Volunteer attorneys must complete a short CLE, but otherwise, no experience in immigration law is necessary. This year, Citizenship Day is April 9. We are still seeking a few pro bono attorneys to assist.
If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out to Kathy Para of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid at [email protected].
• During the Law Week Poster contest, Jacksonville attorneys give presentations to local elementary classes on the Law Day theme. The students then create posters based upon the theme for submission to a contest.
The posters are displayed in the Duval County Courthouse and are voted on by the public, with the winning students receiving prizes.
This year’s participants include Windy Hill and Central Riverside elementary schools. To learn more about this event, please reach out to Ingrid Osborn at [email protected].
• The art supplies and toiletries drive will occur from mid-April through mid-May. Local law firms and businesses are asked to place a bin in a common area of their office for the collection of art supplies and toiletries.
The art supplies will be donated to the schools participating in our poster contest.
The toiletries collected will be donated to the Downtown Ecumenical Services Council. The Downtown Ecumenical Services Council provides emergency food, clothing and financial assistance to persons in crisis.
Many of you travel frequently for work and I encourage you to collect unused hotel toiletries and donate.
If you are interested in having a bin at your place of work, please contact Joni Poitier at [email protected].
• The Law Day Naturalization Ceremony will be 10:30 a.m. April 28 at the Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse.
There, people will take the oath to become United States citizens. To learn more, please contact Brad Russell at [email protected].
• Rendezvous on the River is tentatively scheduled for April 28. This year, as in years past, it will benefit Dreams Come True, the First Coast’s only locally based nonprofit dedicated to granting dreams to children with life-threatening illnesses.
Last year’s donations were used to sponsor a “Disney Dream” for Dreamer Addison. To learn more, please contact Cyndy Trimmer at [email protected].
• The sixth annual Edwards & Ragatz Law Day in May Party benefitting Jacksonville Area Legal Aid will be May 5 at the EverBank Plaza, 501 Riverside Ave.
The evening features drinks, hors d’oeuvres and live music. Donations of $25 are encouraged. To learn more, please contact Lindsay Tygart at [email protected].
As you can see, there are many ways to become involved in the Law Week festivities, and I would encourage all to take part in some way.
Special thanks to my fellow Law Week Committee members for their tireless work.
They are Emily O’Leary(chair/fearless leader), Bradley Russell, Cyndy Trimmer, Jessica Mathis, Megan Kelberman, Joni Poitier, Shea Moser, B.J. Taylor, Laura Renstrom, Bonnie Yamani, Todd Wright, Chelsea Russell Winicki, Leigh Rosenbloom, Barry Natter, Jesse McIntyre, Jeremy Paul, Kelly Lueckert, Michael Lockamy, Ingrid Osborn, Amber Allred, Carleen Leffler, Musa Farmand, Kelly Karstaedt, Ashley Wells-Greene, Kathy Para, Matt Detzel, Austin Brown, Bruce Duggar, Erin Baggett, Grace Michele VanHouten, Ariane Smith, Lauren Blocker, Sarah Bohr, Amie DeGuzman, Amber Allred, Michael Bateh, Ronald Ray Austin and John Paul Cannizzaro.
John W. Wallace is an associate at Moseley, Prichard, Parrish, Knight & Jones.