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(Back Row L to R) Eilish Thompson, Judge John D. Boland, and John R. Weikart
(Frotn Row L to R) Lawrence Morizio, 2025 Ralph J. Monaco Civics Education Award Recipients Ava Kennedy and Jayaditya Rajan, Dina Monaco, 2025 Ralph J. Monaco Civics Education Award Recipient Gabriella Bois, Jonathan Weiner, and CBA President-Elect Emily A. Gianquinto |
The CBA Civics Education Committee hosted its annual Law Day Celebration at the Connecticut Appellate Court in Hartford on May 2. 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. The theme that the American Bar Association chose for this year’s Law Day was “The Constitution’s Promise: Out of Many, One.”
Chief Judge Melanie L. Cradle of the Connecticut Appellate Court opened this year’s event, welcoming the students and guests to the Law Day celebration and thanking those who had organized the event’s activities. CBA President-Elect Emily A. Gianquinto provided an introduction for this year’s event to the attendees. She spoke about the history of Law Day and the CBA’s current activities to promote the defense of the rule of law. “The CBA has a long history of working on rule of law initiatives, particularly access to justice initiatives, because equal access to the courts is a critical part of the rule of law,” stated President-Elect Gianquinto. She referred to recent programs held by the CBA, including last fall’s Rule of Law Conference, mock trial programs, and the legally brief video series, and remarked, “We’re hoping that some of those efforts will further serve the laudable goals of Law Day, which is really to promote civics education, to teach citizens about the importance of their role in our system and how things are supposed to work."
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| CBA President-Elect Emily A. Gianquinto provided introductory remark's at this year's Law Day event. |
Following President-Elect Gianquinto’s introductory remarks, Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas spoke to the students and other attendees about the importance of public civic engagement and support for rule of law as necessary for the proper functioning of our government. “As Secretary of the State I consider it a part of my work to remind everyone that our democracy only works if we engage and participate in it on a regular basis,” stated Secretary Thomas. “Because this constitution of ours is demanding, it requires that we do so much more than just vote. We have to take up the challenge that it gave use and engage fully in this work of building a better community, whether it’s your school, your neighborhood, your state, or your country.”
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| Connecticut Seretary of the State Stephanie Thomas spoke to the event's attendees about about the importance of public civic engagement and support for rule of law. |
Retired Superior Court Judge John Boland introduced the student program portion of the event, which consisted of several orations presented by groups of students from Hartford’s Classical Magnet School to the judges of the Connecticut Appellate Court. The students spoke about topics related to the concept of unity in America, responding to questions asking whether the nation is currently divided, is a divided nation able to progress and thrive, how can our divisions be healed, and what challenges can unite us.
Following the student program, this year’s Ralph J. Monaco Memorial Civics Education Awards were presented to three Connecticut High School students by Dina Monaco, the wife of past CBA President Ralph J. Monaco, who the award was posthumously named after. During her remarks, she noted her late husband’s commitment to educating students about law and government, stating, “As a lawyer, Ralph was an enthusiastic advocate for civics education. He recognized that a strong foundation in legal principles would lead to a brighter future for our society and our legal system.
This year’s winners of the Ralph J. Monaco Memorial Civics Education Awards were Gabriella Bois of Classical Magnet High School, Ava Kennedy of Robert E. Fitch High School, and Jayaditya Rajan of Weston Public Schools. The awards were provided to these students based on their demonstration of a significant commitment to advancing civics engagement, civics education, and/or the rule of law. Along with the award, the three students each received a $1,000 grant.
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(From L to R) 2025 Ralph J. Monaco Civics Education Award Recipients Ava Kennedy and Jayaditya Rajan, Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, and 2025 Ralph J. Monaco Civics Education Award Recipient Gabriella Bois
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At the end of the event, all of this year's attending students were given the chance to meet with the judges of the Appellate Court and members of the CBA Civics Education Committee before enjoying lunch inside the state capitol building. Thank you to all those who participated in this year’s Law Day celebration and congratulations to the winners of this year’s Ralph J. Monaco Civics Education Awards!