Court Observance Week

October 12-16, 2009
Theme: A LEGACY OF LIBERTY & JUSTICE

In 1974, then-President Gerald Ford issued Proclamation 4327, proclaiming the second week in October as National Legal Secretaries’ Court Observance Week.  Since that time, NALS, through the Education Committee, has committed itself to enhancing the understanding of courtroom procedures and the administration of justice by selecting a theme to assist members in preparing for the Week.  This year, the committee has chosen A Legacy of Liberty & Justice. 

By definition, a legacy is something received from an ancestor or predecessor from the past. Liberty can be defined as having the freedom to enjoy basic human rights, to think and speak accordingly, and having the power to make those choices.  Justice is the action of upholding what is just, being treated fairly, the implementation of standards and the law, and determining appropriate rewards or punishment.

We are reminded that Justice is blind, and that any person coming before a court will be considered equally, regardless of their station in life, and that equal justice for all citizens is available—and expected.  Liberty represents the struggles of our nation, and reminds us that the power and authority of the government is in the hands of a free people.

 “Thou shalt not be a victim.  Thou shalt not be a perpetrator.  Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander.”

– Holocaust Museum, Washington D.C.

This quote sends a wonderful message that our legacy of liberty and justice needs our participation.  We are important to the continuance of liberty and justice. As members of NALS and the legal community, it is our duty to educate others about the law and the legal system in a good way.  Our canons require that we help promote a positive image of the law.  We do this by starting in our own law firms.  It is our responsibility to treat all clients with respect and courtesy.  Another way to promote a positive image of the law is to educate ourselves and to take pride in our trade.  And, of course, we should take an active part in our community to work one on one to promote the importance of trying to make a difference, and not being a bystander! 

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. "

- John F. Kennedy
 

"The liberties of our country,
the freedom of our civil Constitution,
are worth defending at all hazards;
and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks.
We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors:
they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence.
It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation,
enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us
by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them
by the artifices of false and designing men."

- Samuel Adams
(1722-1803), known as the "Father of the American Revolution"