Bar Association of the District of Columbia/YLS, Washington, DC Contact: Kim Michele Keenan, Esquire, 1997 Law Day Chair Young Lawyers Section of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia 1819 "H" Street, N.W., 12th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20006 LAW DAY NEWSPAPER PREPARES LAWYERS FOR PRESENTATIONS Activity Summary: The centerpiece of this Law Day celebration was an eight-page newspaper, "The Community Law Journal," published by the Young Lawyers Section of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia. The newspaper had a circulation of 20,000 and was distributed throughout the Washington community. It contains articles written by attorneys but geared for the general public. Live presentations held throughout the city utilized the newspaper to inform and educate the public about the role of law in daily life as well as expose citizens to lawyers. Activity Narrative: With an enthusiastic theme like "Celebrate Your Freedom," the Young Lawyers Section of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia (YLS/BADC) sought to increase public awareness of the benefits of the rule of law. In keeping with the roots of Law Day, the YLS sought to reach the largest cross-section of the Washington, D.C. community. A newspaper was determined to be best tool to reach the widest group of citizens and the idea blossomed into an eight-page newspaper, The Community Law Journal, a YLS/BADC publication. Lawyers from various practice areas wrote newspaper quality articles and editorials for the purpose of educating and enlightening the public regarding the impact of the law in their daily activities. The articles range from criminal to consumer law. Initially, The Community Law Journal was to have limited circulation, i.e., limited to participants at "live" Law Day presentations. However, as interest grew, the circulation increased to 20,000 with groups such as the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, the Zacchaeus Free Clinic, the Greater Washington Urban League, and the Fair Employment Council of Greater Washington participated in the distribution of the free newspaper. The biggest boost to this effort came from The Washington Informer, a community-based newspaper which included The Community Law Journal as an insert to their readership of 10,000. Armed with The Community Law Journal and its headline: "CELEBRATE YOUR FREEDOM!," the YLS teamed lawyers from the major bar associations in the city to make presentations to more than 750 students and senior citizens. These bar associations include the Bar Association of the District of Columbia, The D.C. Bar, The Washington Bar Association and its newly formed Young Lawyers Division, The Asian-Pacific American Bar Association, and The Hispanic Bar Association. This diverse army of young and senior lawyers tailored their remarks to suit the age and interest of the participants. Specific examples include partnering with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes to illustrate for student athletes the similarities between law and athletics. Using their unique backgrounds, the BADC President, the D.C. Bar President, the Chairman of the Board of the Washington Bar Association, and the Law Day Chair, provided examples of how discipline, hard work, and dedication add up to success in law regardless of family background or financial obstacles. In another presentation, several lawyers provided seniors with practical information on probate and elder law. The breadth of the presentations is a reflection of the full complement of Washington lawyers. Although the Law Day program focused on high school students, particularly the Street Law classes, for the first time the YLS/BADC Law Day activities included several senior citizen programs administered by the Greater Washington Urban League. Thirteen presentations were made throughout the city with approximately 75 lawyers participating in the newspaper and the presentations. The YLS/BADC Law Day activity was advertised to bar organizations, community groups, and on several local radio shows: WPGC (95.5 FM), HEAVEN (1580 AM), WJZW (105.9 FM), WBZS (730 AM), WPFW (89.3 FM), and WYCB ("It's Terrific Show".) These shows generated public requests for the inaugural issue of The Community Law Journal as well as requests for future issues of the newspaper. The partnership of the YLS/BADC with a combination of bar associations, the courts, and community groups resulted in presentations to the community reflecting the richness of the diversity within the District of Columbia. With one exception, every presentation had a minimum of two lawyers so as to provide the audience with exposure to young, senior, male and female, and ethnically diverse lawyers representing different practice areas. Lawyers gained exposure to the community and the community received the benefit of a positive encounter with Washington area lawyers. This 1997 YLS/BADC Law Day Project is the largest and most successful in its outreach to the community. For questions or further information, contact Kim Keenan, 1997 Law Day Chair at (202) 879-7777. The YLS/BADC telephone number is (202) 223-6600. Sample Call for Lawyer Volunteers: LAWYERS NEEDED Young Lawyers Section of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia For more information, contact: Jeanne Lund, Bar Association of D.C. Young Lawyers Section Coordinator (202) 223-6600 Kim Keenan, YLS Chair, Law Day (202) 879-7777 The Young Lawyers Section of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia is planning its Law Day Program. Our goal is to promote legal education regarding our nation's legal system and the general legal rights of the public. Further, we plan to enhance the public's positive perception of the legal profession. Using the theme "Celebrate Your Freedom," the YLS sill publish a newspaper, The Young Lawyers Section Law Journal, which will feature articles regarding various areas of the law. In sum, it will provide information about the general legal rights of the public. Lawyers are needed to make presentations, based on the articles in the Young Lawyers Section Law Journal to various civic, community, and school groups on May 1. Finally, if you are aware of any groups that would like to have lawyers present to them, we will contact them to arrange it. If you are interested in making a presentation on May 1, or if you are aware of potential community groups, please call Jeanne Lund, YLS Coordinator at the Bar Association of D.C. at (202) 223-6600. If you have any questions about the Law Day Program, please contact Kim Keenan, YLS Chair, Law Day, at (202) 879-7777. Help celebrate Law Day by teaching the community about the positive impact of the law in their daily lives!!! Sample Press Release: For immediate release: For more information, contact: Kim Keenan or Kevin Berrill, (202) 879-7777 D.C. LAW DAY  The Young Lawyers Section of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia (BADC) will lead a celebration on May 1st of "Law Day." To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Law Day, the Young Lawyers Section has published the Community Law Journal, an eight-page newspaper providing information to the public on legal matters, including employment law, criminal law, senior law, immigration law and consumer law. Kim Keenan, Chair of Law Day and trial lawyer at the malpractice law firm of Jack H. Olender & Associates, is Editor-in-Chief of the Community Law Journal, which will be distributed as an insert in the May 1st edition of The Washington Informer. As part of BADC's observance of Law Day, local attorneys will be making presentations at locations throughout the city, including grade schools and high schools, senior citizen organizations, and religious groups. The purpose of the presentations is to provide the public with useful information about the law. Copies of the Community Law Journal will be provided at these talks. "By publishing this Community Law Journal and speaking throughout the city, lawyers practicing in different areas of the law will take the mystery out of the law's role in our daily activities," said Ms. Keenan. "America is unique in the world in that citizens have taken the constitutional foundation containing the ideals of freedom, and carved into it the reality of freedom unbounded by race, sex, or religion." Copies of the Community Law Journal may be obtained from Jeanne Lund, (202) 223-6600. Sample Law Day Speaker Information Sheet: LAW DAY SPEAKER TOPICS The Community Law Journal: Highlight articles of interest Discuss how or why you became an attorney Describe your area of practice and relate it to everyday activities Discuss a current event...e.g., The Death Penalty: Does it Decrease Crime? Relate law to historical events, religion, or other social change Engage students/citizens in discussions about what aspects of the law interests them SPEAKING TIPS Remember to adjust your presentation to the age of the audience Try not to use legal words without clearly defining them to the audience In smaller groups, try to stimulate questions or ask for opinions so that you can spark a discussion Relax, enjoy yourself, and share information with your audience ** On behalf of the Young Lawyers Section of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia, thank you for making Law Day a success! 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