Baton Rouge Bar Foundation’s 2019 Law Day Celebration

On Wednesday, May 1, 2019, the Baton Rouge Bar Foundation will celebrate Law Day 2019 at the Raising Cane’s River Center with more than 700 middle and high school students from 20 schools across Baton Rouge and surrounding parishes.

The 2019 Law Day program includes a naturalization ceremony for 38 new citizens by the U.S. Court for the Middle District of Louisiana and remarks by Vincent P. Fornias, a Baton Rouge attorney who emigrated from Cuba. The students in attendance will have the chance to witness naturalized US citizens take their oath. Following the naturalization ceremony, Louisiana State Senator Dan Claitor will give the keynote address. From there, the students will move to the 19th JDC and Baton Rouge City Court to see how the rule of law is applied in the courtroom.

The theme of Law Day 2019 is “Free Speech, Free Press and Free Society.” Students from East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, Ascension, Livingston, St. Tammany, West Feliciana, and St. Helena Parishes created posters, essays and videos based on this year’s theme and submitted them to the Baton Rouge Bar Association to be judged by local attorneys. The winners of the competitions will be announced during the Opening Ceremony for Law Day. Members of the Law Day Committee also prepare a mock trial for the students who attend the educational event. Local lawyers volunteer as moderators, judges, and attorneys, each partnering with students who will play these roles in a fictional trial. The students also act as a jury and render a verdict, which demonstrates how the rule of is applied in a real-life scenario. The students also participate in a mock vote to show another aspect of the American system of government.

Contacts:
Donna Buuck: 225-214-5556, donna@brba.org
Landon Hester: 225-214-5560, landon@brba.org

This year’s Law Day celebration will be directed under the leadership of Law Day Co- Chairs, Lauren Rucinski and Anthony Gambino, BRBA President Amy Lambert, BRBA Executive Director Ann K. Gregorie and BRBF Youth Education Coordinator Donna Buuck.

The Baton Rouge Bar Foundation was established in 1989 as the charitable arm of the Baton Rouge Bar Association. The Baton Rouge Bar Foundation serves a vital role in our community from providing law- related educational resources to area educators, to representing low-income residents in local courts, to awarding scholarships to deserving students. We are a 501(c)3 organization that raises funds to support programs such as the Pro Bono Project, Teen Court, Region 3 High School Mock Trial Competition, Law Day and scholarships to students at LSU and Southern Law Centers.

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If you would like more information about Law Day 2019, please contact:
Donna Buuck - donna@brba.org or 225-214-5556
Landon Hester – landon@brba.org or 225-214-5560