[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 3, 2000)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 25823-25824]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-11140]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 86 / Wednesday, May 3, 2000 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 25823]]


                Proclamation 7298 of April 28, 2000

                
Law Day, U.S.A., 2000

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                The freedom of America's citizens is sustained by 
                American law. In crafting the Constitution and the Bill 
                of Rights, our Nation's founders wisely understood that 
                liberty and law are equally important to ensuring human 
                rights and preserving human dignity. Law without 
                freedom becomes tyranny; freedom without law becomes 
                chaos.

                The theme of this year's Law Day observance, ``Speak up 
                for Democracy and Diversity,'' reminds us of the vital 
                role that the law and America's legal community have 
                played in protecting our freedoms and extending them to 
                an ever-widening circle of Americans. Many signal 
                victories for civil rights have been won in the courts 
                by men and women of conscience whose commitment to the 
                Constitution and the rule of law compelled them to 
                speak out against bigotry and discrimination. Many 
                Americans have found champions among the legal 
                profession to defend their rights and to uphold our 
                Nation's promise of equality and justice for all. From 
                the War for Independence to the War Between the States, 
                from emancipation in the 19th century to women's 
                suffrage and the civil rights movement in the 20th 
                century, courageous Americans have risen to the 
                challenge of improving upon our laws and extending 
                their protections to all of our citizens.

                Today, thanks in large measure to the efforts of our 
                Nation's legal community, people of all backgrounds, 
                races, and religions are working, living, and learning 
                side by side. The doors of opportunity are open wider 
                than ever. But despite the advances we have made, we 
                still see in our society stubborn obstacles to true 
                freedom and justice--obstacles such as poverty, 
                unemployment, and lingering discrimination. That is why 
                I have called America's legal community to action once 
                again to lead the fight for equal justice under law. 
                Whether promoting racial diversity in our judicial 
                system and the legal profession, using their knowledge 
                of the law to help underserved communities increase 
                homeownership and entrepreneurship, or providing 
                skilled representation to low-income Americans to 
                ensure the protection of their rights, our Nation's 
                lawyers can make important and lasting differences in 
                preserving justice and promoting freedom and equality.

                I encourage all Americans to observe Law Day by 
                reflecting on the impact that our Nation's laws have 
                had upon the quality of our lives and the strength of 
                our democracy. From the promise of a more perfect union 
                prescribed in the Preamble to the Constitution to the 
                daily rulings of our modern-day justice system, our 
                Nation's system of laws has made real our founders' 
                vision and sustained their fundamental values. As we 
                continue to work for a more just society for all, let 
                us celebrate our legal heritage and reaffirm our 
                reverence for the rule of law, which has safeguarded 
                our liberty and preserved our democracy for more than 
                200 years.

                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, 2000, 
                as Law Day, U.S.A. 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

[[Page 25824]]

                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.

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

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 00-11140
Filed 5-2-00; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P