[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9832]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       CELEBRATING THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECALOGUE SOCIETY

                                  _____
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 10, 2014

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank and congratulate 
the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, which this year celebrates its 80th 
anniversary.
  Founded in 1934 to fight anti-Semitism and other forms of 
discrimination and intolerance, the Decalogue Society has a proud 
record of achievement. It is the oldest Jewish Bar Association in the 
United States, representing the values and concerns of the Jewish 
community while working to protect the rights and privileges of all 
Americans. The Decalogue Society strives to promote justice in society 
and to advance and improve the law, the administration of justice, and 
the legal profession.
  All of us are proud to be a nation of laws, and we strive to ensure 
that ``equal justice under the law'' is not just a motto but a reality. 
The Decalogue Society recognizes that lawyers play an essential role in 
maintaining a free society committed to equal justice. It works to 
ensure that we as a nation understand and value the role of the legal 
profession in reaching that goal, even as its lawyers participate in 
social action and cooperate in diverse movements for the public 
welfare.
  The Decalogue Society maintains vigilance against public and private 
practices which are anti-social, discriminatory, anti-Semitic or 
oppressive and joins with other groups and minorities to protect legal 
rights and privileges. The Decalogue Society's active Social Action 
Committee has organized volunteers for ``Mitzvah'' projects at soup 
kitchens, food pantries, and retirement residences. With a strong 
commitment to public welfare and human rights, the Decalogue Society, 
in conjunction with other minority bar associations, has raised 
awareness about special situations in the courts and in the workplace 
that present challenges for people of various faiths.
  Access to competent legal representation is an essential ingredient 
for making sure that the laws of the land are just and fairly enforced. 
The Decalogue Society provides free continuing legal education to 
assist members and non-members alike in becoming better informed 
lawyers. It extends critical educational and financial support to those 
lawyers who work to end discrimination and represent the rights of the 
most vulnerable among us. The Decalogue Foundation was created in the 
1960s to provide scholarships for deserving law students. It has 
established nine endowment funds at the Hebrew University Law School 
and six Chicago-area law schools. It also has a mentorship program for 
law students and young lawyers to help them network, hone their 
interviewing skills, and find jobs.
  I hope that my colleagues will join me in congratulating the 
Decalogue Society for its commitment to the ideals of religious freedom 
and racial tolerance and for its efforts to encourage and assist those 
women and men who want to pursue future legal careers in public 
service. Chicago, Illinois and the United States all benefit from its 
activities and from its commitment to the principles of law and 
equality.

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