SAGINAW COUNTY

LAW DAY 2009

A LEGACY OF LIBERTY
CELEBRATING LINCOLN’S BICENTENNIAL

2009 marks the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, regarded by many as our nation’s greatest and most eloquent president. Lincoln, who devoted much of his adult life to the practice of law, was the quintessential American lawyer-president. His background in the law informed both his actions and his oratory.

In his Gettysburg Address of 1863, Lincoln articulated his vision of an America united under the Constitution. This union would be forged in the crucible of a “great civil war” and tested by the shared anguish of national sacrifice. For Lincoln, this vision begins—fourscore and seven years before—with the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration marks the origins of “a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

What is the role of law in fulfilling the promises of the Declaration of Independence? For Law Day 2009, we encourage efforts nationwide to commemorate Lincoln by exploring this rich and resonant theme –

A Legacy of Liberty

American Bar Association
Visit www.lawday.org for more detailed information.