Law Day 2014 - American Democracy and the Rule of Law: Why Every Vote Matters

May 1 is Law Day, designated as a special celebration among U.S. citizens in "appreciation of their liberties . . . the reaffirmation of their loyalty to the United States  . . . their rededication to the ideals of equality and justice under law in their relations with each other and with other countries, and for the cultivation of the respect for law that is so vital to the democratic way of life" (36 U.S.C. Section 113).  

Each year, the American Bar Association chooses a theme for Law Day.  This year's theme is "American Democracy and the Rule of Law: Why Every Vote Matters."  The ABA's Law Day website encourages every American to "reflect on the importance of a citizen’s right to vote and the challenges we still face in ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to participate in our democracy."  The theme was chosen as the country approaches the 50th anniversaries of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

For more information on voting rights, consider some of the following titles available in the McKusick Law Library:

Voting Rights and Democracy: The Law and Politics of Districting / By Richard K. Scher, Jon L. Mills, and John J. Hotaling

American Indians and the Fight for Equal Voting Rights / By Laughlin McDonald

Native Vote: American Indians, the Voting Rights Act, and the Right to Vote / By Daniel McCool, Susan M. Olson, and Jennifer L.Robinson

Along Racial Lines: Consequences of the 1965 Voting Rights Act / By David Michael Hudson

Election Law in a Nutshell / By Daniel P. Tokaji and Robert M. Duncan