FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Cheryl Dalby, cdalby@mnbars.org, 612-333-1183
April 27, 2025 (MINNEAPOLIS) — On Thursday, May 1, attorneys from the Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA), Hennepin County Bar Association (HCBA), and Ramsey County Bar Association (RCBA) will gather at the Hennepin County Government Center (Fountain Plaza, 300 South 6th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55487) at 12:00 p.m. to take part in the National Law Day of Action. On this day, bar associations across the country will be holding events in support of the rule of law.
This coordinated day of action invites attorneys to publicly reaffirm their commitment to the rule of law and judicial independence in a unified stand on Law Day, May 1. The principles of judicial independence and the independence of the legal profession–cornerstones of American democracy–are facing unprecedented challenges across the country. Attacks on judges for unpopular rulings, political pressure on legal professionals and law firms, and a growing distrust of the legal system threaten the very foundation of fairness and equal justice.
As part of the Law Day observance, attorneys will retake the Attorney’s Oath together—the same oath sworn upon during admission to the bar. This symbolic act highlights the legal profession’s enduring duty to uphold the Constitution, safeguard individual rights, and ensure access to impartial justice for all.
2024-2025 MSBA President Samuel Edmunds invites attorneys from across the state to participate. “The rule of law is under attack. On May 1, Minnesota attorneys are standing together to send a clear and unified message: We support our courts, our Constitution, and the principles that keep our democracy strong. Retaking the Minnesota Attorney’s Oath together is more than just symbolic—this is a recommitment to the values that define our profession.”
In Minnesota, this oath reads: You do swear that you will support the Constitution of the United States and that of the state of Minnesota, and will conduct yourself as an attorney and counselor at law in an upright and courteous manner, to the best of your learning and ability, with all good fidelity as well to the court as to the client, and that you will use no falsehood or deceit, nor delay any person's cause for lucre or malice. So help you God.
The National Law Day of Action:
- is a nonpartisan gathering focused on reaffirming support for the rule of law
- is designed to spotlight the critical role of judicial and legal independence in a functioning democracy.
- aims to educate the public and galvanize legal professionals to defend the fairness and integrity of the justice system.
- invites non-attorneys to attend the gathering to show their support.
Learn more about the National Law Day of Action: https://lawdayofaction.org/
MSBA/HCBA/RCBA Law Day of Action event page: https://mnbars.org/?pg=events&evAction=showDetail&eid=301876&evSubAction=viewMonth&calmonth=202505
Law Day is observed annually on May 1 as a celebration of the rule of law in the United States. First established in 1958 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Law Day was later officially designated by Congress as a national day of recognition.
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