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| Release: | Immediate |
| Media Contact: | Julie Brown |
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Voting Rights and Election Law in the Spotlight
as Americans Observe Constitution Day
CHICAGO, Sept. 16, 2008—This week’s 221st anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787 provides all Americans with an opportunity to reflect on our cherished institution of constitutional democracy, both on how far we have come and on the work that remains to be accomplished.
The American Bar Association, the nation’s largest lawyers’ organization, is calling on all Americans to commemorate Constitution Day by taking time to appreciate and learn more about this essential national document and its enduring legacy in the civic life of our country. The ABA is pleased to join other concerned educational and professional groups in this nationwide effort to promote understanding of the Constitution and foster a commitment to active civic participation.
To assist in this ongoing educational effort, the ABA Division for Public Education has developed a special online resource, www.abaconstitution.org, to encourage discussion and debate on constitutional concepts.
With November’s elections focusing national attention on the vote, the timely focus of the ABA’s 2008 Constitution Day resource is The Vote—Debate it. Discuss it. Understand it. The ABA Web site, www.abaconstitution.org, includes a special interactive feature, Uncle Sam’s Attic, which tests visitor’s knowledge of constitutional amendments regarding voting rights and elections, as well as related “conversation starters,” discussion questions and lesson plans for classroom use.
“We can all benefit from learning more about the Constitution and its protections of our right to vote.” said ABA President H. Thomas Wells of Birmingham, Ala. “It is essential that all Americans, especially young people, understand the importance of exercising their vote as effective participants in our nation’s civic life. There is no better place to start than with the Constitution.”
With more than 407,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.
UPDATE: Listen to a radio news release of Wells' statement here.
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