Powerhouses from the local legal community are backing a community event to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding, the judicial system and the rule of law. And, with a focus on access to justice, it’s open to the public.
Justice 250: Celebrating Your Constitutional Rights will be an evening on the flight deck of the USS Midway. It is slated for 5:30 p.m. July 2.
Speakers will include California Supreme Court Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Justice M. Margaret McKeown and San Diego County Bar Association President Tim Williams.
There will be food, too, and after-hours access to the ship’s hangar and flight decks. Tickets are $10 each and come with a $10 voucher for food at the event.
Other highlights include booths from several local legal and bar organizations and law schools, where people can learn about their work to expand access to justice. There will also be information on legal resources, including lawyer referral services, legal aid and victims’ rights groups.
July 2 is a fitting date, as it marks 250 years from the day the Continental Congress declared the nation’s freedom from the king of Great Britain, said retired San Diego Superior Court Judge Joan Weber.
Weber noted that both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written primarily by lawyers.
“Judges over the last 250 years have decided the cases that have advanced civil rights for all Americans,” Weber said, “and our country will be relying on lawyers and judges to get this democracy through the next 250 years.”
Weber said the event highlights both the nation’s anniversary and the local legal community.
A news conference on Tuesday featured high-profile backers of the event, including U.S. District Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant, who encouraged everyone to read the Declaration of Independence. “It is truly an inspiring and revolutionary document, and it is as relevant today as it was 250 years ago,” she said.
Justice Judith McConnell from the 4th District Court of Appeal, Division 1, called the Justice 250 event “a true celebration.”
“When you read the Declaration of Independence, you’ll see how important it was to the founders — the rule of law, the right to a jury trial, the right to a fair and impartial judiciary not overcome by the whims of a king, and all the other rights that we cherish so much,” McConnell said.
Asked if she had a message for people who might not feel seen or heard by the legal system, Weber said: “Those are the exact people that we want to reach — people that may need legal advice, that may need legal assistance, that may need to know about the many organizations we have in this county.”
The event is the largest collaboration of its kind among San Diego County’s legal community. Entities backing the event include the federal court based in San Diego, the state appeals court based in San Diego and San Diego Superior Court.
Also behind it are the offices of the region’s U.S. attorney, district attorney and public defender; the San Diego City Attorney’s Office; Federal Defenders of San Diego and the San Diego County Bar Association.
Organizers expect to sell out well before the event date.
To learn more about Justice 250 and to buy tickets, visit justice250.com.