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Among all the people who have served as U.S. President, the majority had roots in the profession of law before rising to this nation’s top office. President Eisenhower, who led the allied effort in Europe during World War II, is among the fewer that did not.
Even so it was this former general who first established Law Day. According to a White House proclamation:
For over two centuries, our Nation has adhered to the rule of law as the foundation for a safe, free, and just society. President Eisenhower, seeking to formally recognize this tradition, established Law Day in 1958 as “a day of national dedication to the principles of government under law.” Each Law Day, we celebrate our commitment to the rule of law and to upholding the fundamental principles enshrined in our founding documents.
America’s founding documents can trace roots to the Magna Carta, which laid the groundwork for democracy as we know it today. As the infographic nearby suggests, the Magna Carta established several key principles:
- No taxation without representation
- Right to a fair trial
- No one is above the law – not even a king
It is fitting then that professional law associations celebrate the Magna Carta on Law Day, which is celebrated on May 1st. The American Bar Association has an exceptional website – Icon of Liberty – which provides educational resources about the history and significance of the Magna Carta.
As a company LexisNexis places heavy emphasis on the Rule of Law as a unifying effort to “strengthen civil society and the rule of law across the globe.” In many ways, it’s the continuous effort to advance those principles established in the Magna Carta so many centuries ago. The infographic is this week’s Friday Share.
(click here or image for larger size)
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