GREENFIELD, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) —  Law Day 2024 will celebrate and educate the public on the rule of law with events focused on Preserving Democracy. On May 1st, John Bonifaz, co-funder and president of Free Speech for People, will be the keynote speaker at the Franklin Justice Center in Greenfield. Law Day has been celebrated since 1958 and changes themes each year, this year centering around the 60th presidential election. 

More from the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office:

 Public welcome at ‘Preserving Democracy’ 2024 Law Day presentations 

Law Day 2024 events will be offered at Franklin and Hampshire county courthouses next week with public presentations on the topic Preserving Democracy. School groups have registered to attend, and the public is invited to attend as well. 

Constitutional Law scholar and voting rights advocate John Bonifaz, co-founder and president of Free Speech for People, a national non-profit whose mission is to defend the Constitution will be the keynote speaker at two events held on May 1 at the Franklin Justice Center in Greenfield and May 3 at the Hampshire County Courthouse in Northampton. Both events are scheduled to start at 9 a.m. 

Bonifaz will be joined by his daughter, Marisol Bonifaz, an Amherst High school student and founder of Generation Ratify Amherst, now called Amherst Young Feminist Party. 

Law Day is an event organized and promoted annually by the American Bar Association to celebrate and educate the public about the rule of law and its role in a democracy. The first Law Day event was held in 1958. 

The ABA selects a theme each year, with this year’s theme being Voices of Democracy. The ABA website explains the theme this way: 

“Voices of Democracy recognizes that in democracies, the people rule. For nearly 250 years, Americans have expressed their political views and wishes by speaking their minds and voting in elections. In 2024, the United States will hold its 60th presidential election, and Americans will address fundamental questions about democracy and the rule of law.” 

Locally, Law Day events are organized jointly by the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, the Hampshire and Franklin County Bar Associations and staff members from the Trial Court at the respective courthouses. 

Following the presentations, student groups will participate in guided tours of the courthouses. Teachers interested in bringing students groups should email laurie.loisel@mass.gov