The American Bar Association is launching a yearlong campaign and a two-year traveling exhibit to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The campaign will include a variety of programming and events aimed at connecting the ideals of the Declaration of Independence to contemporary legal practices. It will be headed by a planning committee that includes distinguished lawyers from each of the states constituting America’s original 13 colonies.
The ABA initiative also features a traveling exhibit called “250 Years of Independence: Fortifying America’s Commitment to Democracy for All,” curated by the ABA Standing Committee on the Law Library of Congress, which explores the evolving meaning of independence and the role of the rule of law.
“The ABA is pleased to mark this 250th anniversary and explore our nation’s founding through the lens of law, justice and the goal of equality,” said ABA President-elect Michelle Behnke, who will oversee the campaign during her presidency.
“This campaign isn’t about history alone. It’s about how principles, written on parchment in 1776, established the foundation for our democracy and continue to matter today. It’s about how law became the language through which freedom is defended and rights are claimed. And it’s about how lawyers and judges, advocates and citizens are called to stand guard over those promises,” Behnke said.
In addition to hosting the exhibit at sites across the United States, the standing committee will produce a series of webinars, panel discussions and public programs in conjunction with the exhibit throughout 2025-26.
The ABA is encouraging its practice groups to join the campaign, along with other bar associations and legal organizations, to highlight the role of lawyers in establishing our nation, as 25 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were lawyers. The initiative will also highlight the special role of lawyers as civic leaders, problem solvers and community pro bono volunteers.
Events will bring together historians, legal scholars and practitioners to examine the declaration’s enduring relevance. By tracing 250 years of legal evolution and civic action, the campaign will serve as both an educational resource and a call to action — encouraging all Americans to engage with the declaration, celebrate the rule of law and renew the nation’s founding promise of democracy for all.
For information on how to host the traveling exhibit in a community or at an event, contact Anna Snyder, director of the Standing Committee on the Law Library of Congress, at anna.snyder@americanbar.org.
The goal is to allow the public to see the exhibit at law schools, court houses, state capitol buildings and bar association events.
ABA activities will complement civics and public education initiatives including Law Day and will be consistent with previous ABA celebrations of the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta and the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote with the adoption of the 19th Amendment.
To learn more, visit: www.ambar.org/declaration250
The campaign will include a variety of programming and events aimed at connecting the ideals of the Declaration of Independence to contemporary legal practices. It will be headed by a planning committee that includes distinguished lawyers from each of the states constituting America’s original 13 colonies.
The ABA initiative also features a traveling exhibit called “250 Years of Independence: Fortifying America’s Commitment to Democracy for All,” curated by the ABA Standing Committee on the Law Library of Congress, which explores the evolving meaning of independence and the role of the rule of law.
“The ABA is pleased to mark this 250th anniversary and explore our nation’s founding through the lens of law, justice and the goal of equality,” said ABA President-elect Michelle Behnke, who will oversee the campaign during her presidency.
“This campaign isn’t about history alone. It’s about how principles, written on parchment in 1776, established the foundation for our democracy and continue to matter today. It’s about how law became the language through which freedom is defended and rights are claimed. And it’s about how lawyers and judges, advocates and citizens are called to stand guard over those promises,” Behnke said.
In addition to hosting the exhibit at sites across the United States, the standing committee will produce a series of webinars, panel discussions and public programs in conjunction with the exhibit throughout 2025-26.
The ABA is encouraging its practice groups to join the campaign, along with other bar associations and legal organizations, to highlight the role of lawyers in establishing our nation, as 25 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were lawyers. The initiative will also highlight the special role of lawyers as civic leaders, problem solvers and community pro bono volunteers.
Events will bring together historians, legal scholars and practitioners to examine the declaration’s enduring relevance. By tracing 250 years of legal evolution and civic action, the campaign will serve as both an educational resource and a call to action — encouraging all Americans to engage with the declaration, celebrate the rule of law and renew the nation’s founding promise of democracy for all.
For information on how to host the traveling exhibit in a community or at an event, contact Anna Snyder, director of the Standing Committee on the Law Library of Congress, at anna.snyder@americanbar.org.
The goal is to allow the public to see the exhibit at law schools, court houses, state capitol buildings and bar association events.
ABA activities will complement civics and public education initiatives including Law Day and will be consistent with previous ABA celebrations of the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta and the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote with the adoption of the 19th Amendment.
To learn more, visit: www.ambar.org/declaration250
