Held on May 1st, Law Day is an annual celebration of the legal profession and the rule of law in society. The theme for 2022 is "Toward a More Perfect Union: The Constitution in Times of Change." Since Law Day falls on a Sunday this year, many events and programs will be held earlier in the week. Read on for more about this year's theme, Law Day events and programs, and resources on constitutional law in the library!

Toward a More Perfect Union: The Constitution in Times of Change

The American Bar Association (ABA) picks a theme for Law Day each year, and this year's theme is "Toward a More Perfect Union: The Constitution in Times of Change." The theme considers the ways we have reshaped the Constitution over the years in order to create a "more perfect Union" and celebrates the history and spirit of the efforts to make our country more equitable for all.

The ABA has various essays that explore the theme on their site, including "Changing the Constitution — Formally and Informally," "What is Power Under the Rule of Law?," and "How the Rule of Law Has Shaped and Continues to Shape America." These articles are also available in Spanish.

To read more about the history of Law Day, check out the ABA's timeline and view the past Law Day themes back to 1969.

Events and Programs

The ABA will be holding a panel discussion on this year's theme via Zoom on April 28th from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (3:00 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. EDT). The panel will feature several constitutional law scholars and attorneys and will focus on "constitutional change in the United States, social movements that lead to change, and shifts in U.S. Supreme Court jurisprudence, among others" according to the ABA's website. This program is in partnership with the Law Library of Congress. You can register to attend the panel over Zoom or watch it live on the Library of Congress's Youtube Channel.

The ABA also has a page with virtual and in-person Law Day events around the country. If you're in the Austin area, the University of Texas School of Law is hosting an event in partnership with the Austin Bar Association, the Austin Young Lawyers Association, and the Youth Justice Alliance on Friday, April 29th. This event will allow local high school students to get some exposure to the local legal profession and includes several introductory law school classes and keynote speakers. Find more about this event on the corresponding ABA page.

The State Bar of Texas (SBOT) also hosts a Statewide Law Day Contest for grade-school students throughout the state. Students can submit essays, photographs, and posters for consideration. You can view the list of this year's winners in each category and grade level, read the winning editorial, and check out the winning posters and photographs on the SBOT's website.

Resources at the State Law Library

The library has an extensive collection of titles available on various aspects of constitutional law. You can check out our Constitutional Law and Civil Rights collection for titles that are available remotely. To celebrate Law Day, here are a few titles to get started with:

Why the Constitution matters

This 2014 work from Harvard law professor Mark Tushnet looks at the Constitution as a driving force for the U.S. political landscape. A terrific pick for this year's theme, this title focuses on the Constitution's role in a changing political landscape.

Constitutional civil rights in a nutshell and First Amendment law in a nutshell

Written with law students in mind, West Publishing Company's Nutshell series is a great way for a legal novice to get a basic introduction to a particular legal topic. These two titles on constitutional law are no exception. 

Law 101: Everything you need to know about American law

This is an excellent primer on the American legal system for anyone who is interested in learning about the law. Chapters 2 and 3 cover constitutional law and constitutional rights, respectively. 

Thanks for reading, and happy Law Day!