In 1958, President Eisenhower designated May 1 “Law Day, USA.”  Law Day celebrates the rule of law and its contributions to Americans’ many freedoms. Law Day 2014 is especially significant as we approach the fiftieth anniversaries of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  The theme for this year’s […]

In observance of the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963, the U.S. Government Printing Office has made the official, digital version of the Warren Commission Report available on FDsys, the Federal Digital System housing electronic government documents. The Warren Commission was created by President Lyndon Johnson to investigate the […]

May 17 marks the anniversary of the unanimous 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Prior to Brown, many parts of the United States permitted segregation in public education based on the principle of ‘separate but equal,’ a doctrine based on the longstanding decision in Plessy v. Ferguson.  Brown brought together cases […]

On March 18, 1963, the Supreme Court handed down the decision in Gideon v. Wainwright, a case that made significant changes to the face of criminal law in the United States. Charged with breaking and entering into a Florida pool hall, Clarence Earl Gideon could not afford an attorney. After being convicted and sentenced to […]

Freedom’s Journal, founded in 1827 to provide a voice against racism and intolerance, was the first newspaper published in the United States by and for African-Americans.  A number of sources place its home at 236 Church Street, which is today encompassed by NYLS’ 57 Worth Street building. This neighborhood was home to a large number […]

Constitution Day (September 17) commemorates the day the members of the Philadelphia Convention signed the United States Constitution.  Of the three delegates from New York, only one participated through to the end and affixed his name:  Alexander Hamilton.  Revolutionary War veteran and lawyer, Hamilton was also a co-author of The Federalist Papers and the first […]

Every May 1 the United States observes Law Day, which President Dwight D. Eisenhower set aside as a day for Americans to reflect on the role of law in the foundation of our country and its importance for society.  The theme for 2012, No Courts | No Justice | No Freedom, focuses on the importance […]

Born on February 7, 1477, Thomas More was an English lawyer, statesman, author, scholar, dedicated father, early proponent of education for women, and eventually, a saint.  Raised in London, he entered the bar around 1501 after studies at Oxford and legal apprenticeship.  Politics followed shortly afterwards with his election to Parliament in 1504.  He eventually […]