The County of San Luis Obispo held its annual Law Day event in downtown San Luis Obispo.
The event is observed each year on May 1.
Its purpose is to help cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal professional and the role of law in the community.
"We really look at this like an opportunity to educate the community on the court, the process, the judges, the services," said Kerrin Adams, the San Luis Obispo County Bar Association executive director. "... I think a lot of times people aren't aware of what is available and this is really one day a year that we're able to highlight each and every resource in our community for the public."
To do so, the county hosted a variety of activities, including a presentation by the county grand jury; a judicial address by the presiding judge, in this case, the Honorable Rita Federman; free clinics by legal service providers; and a mock trial by the Morro Bay High School Mock Trial team, who are the reigning SLO County mock trial champions.
Law Day has a long history in America. President Dwight D. Eisenhower established it in 1958 to mark the nation's commitment to the rule of law.
Every president since then has issued a Law Day proclamation on May 1 to celebrate that commitment. President Joe Biden's 2024 proclamation is titled A Proclamation on Law Day, U.S.A., 2024, a section of which is below.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, in accordance with Public Law 87-20, as amended, do hereby proclaim May 1, 2024, as Law Day, U.S.A. I call upon all Americans to acknowledge the importance of our Nation’s legal and judicial systems with appropriate ceremonies and activities and to display the flag of the United States in support of this national observance.
Clarification: This article was updated to include which mock trial team participated in the event. It was the two-time defending SLO County champions, the Morro Bay High School Mock Trial team.
