Proclamation 6792

by Bill Clinton

By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

Our legal system is the foundation on which this Nation was built. It enables us to realize the promises of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Law protects our homes, our families, and our communities. It secures our borders and safeguards our environment. It is the basis for free markets and our continued prosperity. And it helps guide our relationships with other lands.

When President John F. Kennedy proclaimed Law Day, U.S.A. in 1962, he reminded us that law, like freedom, demands constant vigilance. We must nurture "through education and example an appreciation of the values of our system of justice and . . . an increased respect for law and for the rights of others as basic elements of our free society." As we celebrate Law Day this year, it is more important than ever that we rededicate ourselves to reaching these goals.

Today, America's system of jurisprudence is being challenged as never before. Great technological advances are leading us to redefine and expand the ways in which laws apply to us as individuals and as a Nation. From communications to computer software, international trade to environmental protection, our legal system remains an anchor of freedom, even as it evolves to meet the demands of our rapidly changing times.

If we are to further advance the causes of democracy and human dignity around the world, we must not falter in enforcing the rule of law here at home. Laws must be applied as vigorously on Main Street as on the information superhighway. The legal community must help to restore Americans' sense of security and faith in justice. Most important, our laws must continue to fulfill our Founders' ideals of fairness and equality. Working together, we must strive to ensure that tomorrow's generations inherit the truths that have long sustained us as a people and move our Nation forward.

Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, in accordance with Public Law 87-20 of April 7, 1961, do hereby proclaim May 1, 1995, as "Law Day, U.S.A." I urge the people of the United States to use this occasion to reflect on our heritage of freedom, to familiarize themselves with their rights and responsibilities, and to aid others seeking to affirm their rights under law.

I call upon the legal profession, civic associations, educators, librarians, public officials, and the media to promote the observance of this day through appropriate programs and activities. I also call upon public officials to display the flag of the United States on all government buildings throughout the day.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and nineteenth.

William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:16 a.m., April 28, 1995]