4/13/09

Law Day observances will begin bright and early on Friday, May 1, with a live remote broadcast from the State Bar of Michigan in downtown Lansing. A special edition of the Michigan Talk Network’s “The Big Show” with host Michael Patrick Shiels will give listeners an opportunity to ask law-related questions and to learn more about the legal system from Bar leaders.

This year’s Law Day theme is A Legacy of Liberty — Celebrating Lincoln’s Bicentennial. “Abraham Lincoln was the quintessential American lawyer-president and this Law Day, we will celebrate the legacy of a great leader who steered this country through turbulent times, united it, and stood for values like human equality, liberty, and justice,” said Ed Pappas, president of the State Bar of Michigan.

The State Bar will highlight several programs during the broadcast to inform listeners of their legal rights and protections. Listeners can ask questions on the air by calling 1-888-900-9966 between 8 and 9 a.m. “The Big Show” originates from Lansing’s WJIM-AM each weekday morning from 5 to 9 a.m. and is simulcast on 10 radio stations statewide.

Also in conjunction with Law Day, the Michigan Lawyers Auxiliary and the State Bar of Michigan will host an awards luncheon at the Michigan Hall of Justice in Lansing at 11:30 a.m. The luncheon will honor winners of a statewide Law Day essay contest in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. The featured speaker is Marilyn Kelly, chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court.

Bar associations throughout the state will also mark the special day with events such as mock trials, contests, courtroom visits, scholarship opportunities, and more.

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