Constitution Day Sept. 17

Constitution Day is Wednesday, Sept. 17, when we will commemorate the 238th anniversary of the signing of our nation’s founding document—and the blueprint for our democracy under the rule of law. Here are three actionable ways you can join us in celebrating!

1. Lawyers in the Classroom. There is no better way to uphold the Constitution than to educate and inspire a new generation of leaders and community members! Lawyers in the Classroom is a new statewide collaboration, based on the successful Judges in the Classroom program, to equip legal professionals with predesigned, experiential civics lessons and connect them with local classroom teachers. The cherry on top? Your volunteer time can be logged as pro bono service hours. Join us at noon on Tuesday, Sept. 30, for a virtual lunch-and-learn presentation. Register here.
2. "Rule of Law and Constitutional Crises for Lawyer Ambassadors." Did you miss this free CLE for WSBA’s Rule of Law Ambassadors when it premiered in May? Not to worry—it’s on demand and just as relevant as ever. Watch (or rewatch) for a constitutional law refresher and discussion about what is meant by “rule of law” and “constitutional crisis” (and how to know when we are in one or not). Then use your knowledge to connect with and educate your community, using tools in our growing Rule of Law Ambassador Tool Kit.
3. Everyone’s Constitution: Why it Matter to All of Us. This webinar is part of a national grassroots effort coordinated by the ABA’s Task Force for American Democracy; a distinguished panel of leaders and thinkers will discuss the enduring importance of the Constitution, its significance to our daily lives, and how we can all work to uphold it. Register now and mark your calendars for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17.

And, finally, stay tuned: We are going to announce a new statewide ambassador initiative on Constitution Day itself—it’s our way of saying happy birthday to our favorite founding document!

Thank you for being a Rule of Law Ambassador! Every legal professional becomes a public ambassador when they take their professional oath, pledging to further the public’s understanding of and confidence in the legal system “because legal institutions in a constitutional democracy depend on popular participation and support to maintain their authority.” The WSBA’s Rule of Law Ambassador program provides legal professionals with knowledge, tools, and inspiration to carry out this important professional obligation. We are continually updating our tool kit and sending information via this ambassador listserv.

Why? We are experiencing steep decline in public trust and confidence in the legal system. New comprehensive studies show that we are becoming profoundly polarized across the nation—in fact, the only thing it seems like we can universally agree on is a deep and growing distrust of government institutions and our fellow citizens. This alarming trend strikes at the heart of our democracy: When we stop valuing and heeding our system of government, built on the constitutional pillar of a free and independent judiciary, we risk it going away. As the WSBA Board of Governors has said:

“In times like these, the imperative question becomes: ‘If lawyers and judges are not willing or able to defend liberty and freedom for all people under the law and Constitution, who will?’”