Program Types & Tips Law Day Luncheons Law Day isn't just about feeding the mind. It is a celebration and Law Day luncheons are commonly a big part of that. Unfortunately, these midday gatherings often look the same year after year. So, the following suggestions are provided to spice up your luncheon. Like Law Day itself, your lunch will be a greater success with creativity and community involvement. Historical Perspective Design your luncheon around a historical theme. A colonial theme is perfectly in line with Law Day's emphasis on the Constitution. Away with the ever-present rubber chicken and baked potato! Try a menu that borrows from our country’s past. Browse colonial cookbooks for ideas or explore your local restaurants to see if any specializes in period cooking. For inspiration, see the recipe included here for Thomas Jefferson’s Sweet Potato Biscuits. Hire local actors to dress up as historical characters. The characters can stage a mini interactive play, turning your lunch crowd into the cast of the constitutional convention. Ben Franklin or George Washington can work the crowd and be available for photo opportunities. As a less expensive alternative, invite students from local schools to come in period dress and stage a mock signing of the Constitution. Recreate a constitutional event such as a women’s suffrage march or a civil rights protest. Get the Community Involved Invite winners of local school essay, poster, photo and video contests and their families to the luncheon. Prize-winning entries can be displayed or orally shared with the crowd. Consider holding a community picnic or fair rather than a formal luncheon. If you are with a bar association, try holding a lunch with other community groups involved in legal education such as Law-Related Education (LRE) teachers or community educators. Recruit volunteers from your luncheon guests to serve a meal at a homeless shelter before or after your event. Or volunteers could spend an evening delivering meals to home-bound seniors. Hold a food drive at your luncheon. Charge a one can "admission fee" for guests. Decorating Tip Looking for ways to personalize the lunching atmosphere? Why not use winning poster art from local schools to decorate? If the contest is completed early enough, art can be reproduced on invitations and programs. Posters will also create a colorful display when hung around your room and will be a source of pride for the young artists. Waste Not Before your luncheon, contact a local homeless shelter and ask whether you could donate extra food. Recruit volunteers from your groups to deliver the leftovers following the lunch. >>Law Day Luncheons >>Recipe (Thomas Jefferson's Sweet Potato Biscuits) Reaching the Community Home | Program Types & Tips Home