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Retired Connecticut Appellate Court Judge Michael R. Sheldon presented the keynote speech for Law Day.
The CBA Civics Education Committee, together with the Greater Danbury, Hartford County, Litchfield County, New Haven County, and Windham County Bar Associations held its annual Law Day celebration virtually over Zoom on May 7, with more than 65 attendees. Law Day is a national celebration held annually to celebrate the role of law in our society and to help encourage a deeper understanding of the legal profession. This year’s Law Day theme was “Advancing the Rule of Law, Now.”
Committee Chair Jonathan Weiner hosted the hour-long event, providing an introduction and welcome to those attending. Students Julianna Farquharson, Claire Flynn, and Grace Piccioli from Sedgewick Middle School in West Hartford as well as Anna Hansard and Amalia Morizio from North Haven Middle School presented inspirational readings on the importance of law quoted from prominent figures, including Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Aristotle, and Chief Justice John Roberts. CBA President Amy Lin Meyerson spoke about the history and importance of Law Day celebrations. The event’s keynote speaker, retired Connecticut Appellate Court Judge Michael R. Sheldon, presented a speech focused on the defining elements of the United States' legal system, his own experience introducing Russian authorities to US legal concepts after the fall of the Soviet Union, and the national challenges that face the United States’ judiciary system today.
To conclude the event, the 2021 Liberty Bell Awards were presented by the local bar associations to individuals who demonstrate civic responsibility and promote understanding of the rule of law in the community. Hartford County Bar (HCBA) President-Elect Jennifer E. Wheelock presented the HBCA’s Liberty Bell Award to UConn School of Law’s Assistant Dean for Finance, Administration, and Enrollment Karen DeMeola for teaching diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and critical identity theory. Litchfield District Superior Court Senior Judge Paul Matasavage presented a Litchfield County Bar Association (LCBA) Liberty Bell Award to court interpreter, Margarita Charleton. LCBA President Ryan M. Henry presented a second Liberty Bell Award to Litchfield District Superior Court Judge Trial Referee John W. Pickard. Thank you to everyone involved who helped to celebrate Law Day 2021.