Home For the Community Law, Youth & Citizenship Program Law Day 2009

Welcome to the New York State Bar Association's Law Day site for educators.

This year's celebration follows the American Bar Association's theme honoring Abraham Lincoln. The year 2009 marks the bicentennial of the birth of Lincoln, regarded by many as our nation’s greatest and most eloquent president. Lincoln, who devoted much of his adult life to the practice of law, was the quintessential American lawyer-president. His background in the law informed both his actions and his oratory.

For Law Day 2009, we commemorate the rich and resonant theme – A Legacy of Liberty, by exploring Abraham Lincoln's love of animals. The site serves two purposes. One, to help educators in New York State observe Law Day in their classrooms and, two, to satisfy the New York State Education Law, Article 17, Section 809, mandating Instruction in the humane treatment of animals. That law also requires offering an alternative to dissection of animals to those students who object to such practice.  More information on this particular subject can be found in a NYSBA press release from December 2008, click here for release.

This site and accompanying lesson plans are the result of a collaboration between two NYSBA committees:

Animals and the Law Committee, James F. Gesualdi, Esq.
and
Law, Youth and Citizenship Committee, Janet Philips Kornfeld, Esq.

CLICK HERE   for essay on Lincoln and Animals

CLICK HERE for lesson plans

CLICK HERE  for ABA Law Day Resources

CLICK HERE for history of Law Day

CLICK HERE    for New York State Education's Law Day Toolkit

CLICK HERE for NY Civics Roadmap