Teens, Crime, and the Community
Law Day
April 2006 article
In 1961, a joint resolution of Congress designated May 1 as the official date for celebrating the rule of law. President Dwight D. Eisenhower originally set this date aside in 1958 to commemorate our great heritage of liberty, justice, and equality under law.
According to the American Bar Association, schools across the country celebrate Law Day by implementing programs designed to help people understand how law keeps society free, and how the law and the legal process have contributed to the freedoms that all Americans share.
The National Crime Prevention Council’s curriculum, Community Works, combines crime prevention and law-related education. School resource officers, juvenile justice personnel, educators, and others teach Community Works across the country to help improve young people’s attitudes toward social responsibility and to empower them to reduce the crime and violence that take place in their schools and communities.
Law education curriculums, such as Community Works, emphasize the importance of improving the attitudes of young people toward schools and advancing their social skills, including working with others. Through being exposed to Community Works, students learn how to become engaged citizens, thereby becoming party of the solution in reducing crime and violence in our communities.
We are proud to celebrate Law Day every day.
For more information on how to celebrate Law Day, visit the American Bar Association.
