The Legal Referral Service Recognizes National Law Day

Representatives will provide free legal guidance, May 1 to May 4, across the city!

Law Day began with the following proclamation of Dwight D. Eisenhower:

Now, therefore, I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate Thursday, May 1, 1958, as Law Day – USA. I urge the people of the United States to observe the designated day with appropriate ceremonies and activities; and I especially urge the legal profession, the press and the radio, television and motion picture industries to promote and to participate in the observance of that day.

Since President Eisenhower’s proclamation in 1958, each president has issued his own proclamation declaring May 1 as Law Day - USA. In 1961, a joint resolution of Congress established May 1 as the official date for celebrating Law Day - USA. Many in the legal profession have seized this annual opportunity to educate and inform the public about their legal rights. As a result of their efforts, Law Day can offer an important opportunity to change people’s lives through our legal system.

Every year in celebration of Law Day, the Legal Referral Service of the New York City Bar Association and the New York County Lawyers’ Association organizes a series of free legal information fairs. By joining with other local bar associations and legal organizations, the Legal Referral Service is able to inform the public of their legal rights. Passers-by stop to peruse the displays and speak with legal representatives for answers to their problems. Law Day visitors can get information through one-on-one consultations with attorneys, discussions with agency volunteers and a myriad of printed materials available at the fair. In learning about the law, they are able to discover if they have a legal issue, and when it is best to hire a lawyer, or to consult with a public or private agency.

Most visitors to the fair are interested in educating themselves on various areas of law, including matrimonial, criminal, consumer, landlord/tenant, and personal injury. They raise issues that they are confronting, listen to discussions about other legal issues and come away with a better general knowledge of the law and a list of contacts they might be able to use in the future.

The Legal Referral Service will visit four boroughs from 11a.m. to 2 p.m., beginning May 1:

Mon., May 1st
NYC – 111 Centre Street

Tues., May 2nd
Brooklyn Boro Hall – Columbus Park
209 Joralemon Street

Wed., May 3rd
Queens Civil Court
89-17 Sutphin Blvd.

Thurs., May 4th
Bronx Supreme Court
851 Grand Concourse

On a day-to-day basis, the Legal Referral Service employs 10 lawyers who screen calls, provide brief legal information and make referrals to experienced lawyers when appropriate. The Referral counselors answer between 350 and 600 calls a day. Foreign language speakers should not hesitate to call, as translators are available in most languages. The hotline is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. For a referral, please call 212-626-7373. Spanish speakers may call 212-626-7374.

This Year’s Co-Sponsors
The Brooklyn Bar Association, the Queens County Bar Association, the Bronx County Bar Association, the Bronx Borough President's Office, the Brooklyn Borough President's Office, the Manhattan Borough President's Office, the Queen's Borough President's Office, the New York State Attorney General's Office, Lambda Legal Defense and Education, Brooklyn Legal Services A, CAMBA Legal Services, Catholic Charities, Legal Services for New York City, The Legal Aid Society, Jewish Association for Services for the Aged, New York Civil Liberties Union, Eviction Intervention Services, SCORE, CUNY Law School, the Better Business Bureau, Safe Horizon: Domestic Violence Project, Taxpayer Advocate: a division of the IRS, The U.S. Small Business Administration of N.Y., The N.Y.C. Commission on Human Rights, SHIELD, the City Bar Fund, and Law Help NY.

About the Association
The Association of the Bar of the City of New York (www.nycbar.org) was founded in 1870, and since then has been dedicated to maintaining the high ethical standards of the profession, promoting reform of the law, and providing service to the profession and the public.

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