[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 6, 1998)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 25147-25148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-12217]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 87 / Wednesday, May 6, 1998 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 25147]]


                Proclamation 7090 of May 1, 1998

                
Law Day, U.S.A., 1998

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                In 1787, when the founders of this great Nation set 
                forth the guiding principles of our new democracy in 
                the Preamble to the Constitution, among their primary 
                goals was to ``establish Justice.'' These visionary 
                American leaders revered the law, understanding that 
                its proper practice would simultaneously free us and 
                protect us, enabling us to steer a steady course 
                between the opposing dangers of tyranny and anarchy. 
                Today, our country, built upon the foundation of equal 
                justice for all, is renowned throughout the world for 
                legally enshrining fundamental human rights. 
                Recognizing the importance of law to the life of our 
                Nation, we set aside one day each year to reflect on 
                our judicial system and to celebrate both the security 
                and the freedom it guarantees.

                Our laws ensure that the rights set forth in the 
                Constitution and its Amendments are protected in our 
                everyday lives: our right to worship as we choose, to 
                speak freely, to vote in free elections, to be safe 
                from arbitrary arrest. Justice for all is central to 
                our democracy, and we must strive to ensure that all 
                Americans have equal access to the judicial system. 
                Unfortunately, each year many of our most vulnerable 
                citizens are denied the legal assistance they need 
                because they cannot afford it.

                I am proud that our Federal Government is making an 
                investment to address this problem through the work of 
                the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). For almost 25 
                years, the LSC has funded local offices that give our 
                citizens access to the legal help they need to secure 
                child support, escape domestic violence, or fight 
                unscrupulous lenders. Last year alone, 4 million poor 
                Americans, the majority of whom were women and 
                children, were helped by LSC offices.

                Without laws, our democracy would wither; without 
                access to our legal system, there can be no true 
                justice. We must affirm and strengthen our national 
                legal services system to ensure that all Americans have 
                an equal opportunity to enjoy the rights and liberties 
                guaranteed in our Constitution. As we observe Law Day, 
                let us reaffirm our faith in the rule of law and strive 
                to secure justice for all our people.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, in accordance with Public Law 
                87-20 of April 7, 1961, do hereby proclaim May 1, 1998, 
                as Law Day. I urge the people of the United States to 
                consider anew how our laws protect our freedoms and 
                contribute to our national well-being. I call upon 
                members of the legal profession, civic associations, 
                educators, librarians, public officials, and the media 
                to promote the observance of this day with appropriate 
                programs and activities. I also call upon public 
                officials to display the flag of the United States on 
                all government buildings throughout the day.

[[Page 25148]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                first day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen 
                hundred and ninety-eight, and of the Independence of 
                the United States of America the two hundred and 
                twenty-second.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 98-12217
Filed 5-5-98; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P