[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 18 (Monday, May 4, 1998)]
[Pages 750-751]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7090--Law Day, U.S.A., 1998

May 1, 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

[[Page 751]]

the United States on all government buildings throughout the day.
    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.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., May 5, 1998]

Note: This proclamation will be published in the Federal Register on May 
6.