National Law Day
May 1 is National Law Day in the United States. This year, three nationwide organizations held Law Day events focused on supporting the Constitution and the rule of law. They called on lawyers to reaffirm the oath of office and dedication to the Constitution. (Visit these sites from the blue box below.) 50 Ways Rockbridge and the Washington & Lee School of Law chapter of the American Constitution Society sponsored an event celebrating our Constitution and the rule of Law on April 30 to affirm our beliefs in our Constitution and the rule of law. Portions of the main speech by W&L law professor Dr. Jill Fraley are featured below and linked to the entire speech.
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"Defending the Constitution depends
on daily choices of ordinary people"
On April 30, 50 Ways Rockbridge and the Washington & Lee School of Law chapter of the American Constitution Society co-sponsored a National Law Day event to celebrate the rule of law and offer lawyers and other professionals the opportunity to reaffirm their oaths to the Constitution.
Below are excerpts from the speech delivered by W&L law professor and constitutional scholar Dr. Jill Fraley. Here is the link to the entire speech.
“Today, we come together to renew a promise—not just a public promise, but a deeply personal one.
“An oath of office is more than a formality. It is a living connection to generations who stood before us, guarding the fragile trust placed in their hands: the trust to uphold the Constitution.
“In taking this oath again, we remind ourselves that a constitutional democracy is not self-sustaining. It requires each generation’s vigilance, commitment, and courage.”
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“The Constitution is not self-executing. It depends on our vigilance, our integrity, and our willingness to defend its principles in countless small and unseen ways. It depends on our commitment to serve others and live for others, not solely ourselves. Each of us is a steward of the rule of law—and each of us carries the burden and the honor of that stewardship, every day.”
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“We may have serious disagreements over moral values, over questions of equality and justice.
“And those disagreements matter.
“They can be dangerous to individual lives and to our conscience as a people.
“But disagreement—serious, passionate disagreement—is not dangerous to democracy itself.
“Contempt is.
“Although we may disagree on issues—even important and deeply personal ones—Americans should agree on the rule of law.
“We should rally around what has been handed down to us, not only through days of bloodshed, but through thousands of days of small acts of service by citizens everywhere.”
W&L School of Law professor Dr. Jill Fraley
“In choosing to serve the Constitution, to live by the rule of law, we are finding a deeper, steadier identity, one that holds firm even when the world around us shakes.”
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“We are careful and respectful with something—or someone—who is precious to us. The Constitution is precious to us. Taking an oath is not just a public promise; it is a private act of commitment. True commitment demands more than compliance—it asks for loyalty even when no one is watching, courage even when the path is hard, and steadfastness even when comfort would be easier.”
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“Commitment is often spoken of in terms of duty, burden, and sacrifice—and rightly so.
“But there is a profound and often overlooked truth: there is joy in commitment.
“There is joy in knowing that your life is tied to something larger than yourself, something that endures beyond the moment and beyond personal ambition....There is a quiet, sustaining happiness that comes from knowing that, even when days are hard and outcomes uncertain, you have chosen to stand where it matters.”
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“The joy of commitment comes from knowing that you have placed your life in service of something that will outlast you, and that in doing so, you have helped sustain the fragile, precious experiment of American democracy.”
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