Somerset attorneys went to county schools to share what Law Day represents

Judy D.J. Ellich, The Daily American
·2 min read

SOMERSET — For nearly 60 years student tours of the courthouse conducted by local attorneys followed on Law Day, May 1, with a ceremony held in a courtroom before the county judges sitting en banc.

Where the tours are held in Somerset County Court of Common Pleas.
Where the tours are held in Somerset County Court of Common Pleas.

Learning how the judicial system works and its importance in society has been a rite of passage for Somerset County school students. They learn the functions of the courthouse and county offices through discussions with the attorney tour guides and presentations by row office employees and officeholders. They often watched a portion of a trial or hearing occurring on the day of their tour.

Somerset attorney David Leake discusses the judicial system with a class in the North Star School District on Law Day.
Somerset attorney David Leake discusses the judicial system with a class in the North Star School District on Law Day.

This year the tours were held prior to Law Day.

"Law Day is an annual commemoration held on May 1st to celebrate the rule of law and cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal system," said Somerset attorney David Leake.

How Law Day began

Law Day is celebrated annually throughout the country. In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower established Law Day as a day of national dedication to the principles of government under law. Then in 1961, Congress designated May 1 as the official date for celebrating Law Day. This program has grown to many countries around the globe, according to the American Bar Association website.

Now in 2024

"The Somerset County Bar Association offers interested local high schools in hosting a local attorney to come to the school and make a presentation about our legal system," Leake said. He went to North Star High School and a class of seniors to do so.

Bar member DeAnn McCoy was in charge of coordinating the presentations. There were several held in county schools.

The Somerset County Bar Association intends to continue with the tradition of offering these presentations in May for Law Day, said McCoy.  The Somerset County Bar Association resumed conducting courthouse tours, which were stopped while the courthouse was closed to visitors during the pandemic. The tours are local school field trips conducted for school students by attorneys, McCoy said.

"It is the Bar Association's goal to keep young minds interested in the law and our legal system through continuing to offer Law Day presentations and courthouse tours to Somerset County schools," McCoy said.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Somerset attorneys went to county schools to share Law Day's roots