The 2020 Law Day theme is “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy.” Image courtesy of the American Bar Association.

On April 30, the Law Library of Congress, in collaboration with the American Bar Association, presented the 2020 Law Day program titled “Social Movement Changing America: The Legacies of the 19th Amendment.”

The event was a moderated panel discussion, with Kimberly Atkins –senior news correspondent, WBUR-Boston and contributor, MSNBC–as the moderator. Panelists included: Martha S. Jones, Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor and professor of history, Johns Hopkins University; Thomas Saenz, president/general counsel, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund; and Julie Suk, dean and professor of sociology, City University of New York Graduate Center. The program also featured an introduction by Law Librarian of Congress, Jane Sanchez and American Bar Association President, Judy Perry Martinez.

Ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment prohibited states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens on the basis of sex. The panelists discussed a variety of topics surrounding the 19th amendment, including the importance of prior amendments to its development and execution, the goal and its effect on society, and how other minority populations were affected by it. To read more about the presentation and its presenters, click here to see the event program.

Law Day is a national day set aside to celebrate the rule of law and an opportunity to understand how law and the legal process protect liberty and promote justice. This year’s Law Day theme–“Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100”–dovetails with the Library of Congress’ exhibition, Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote, which celebrates the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

For more webinars and events from the Law Library of Congress, visit our Legal Research Institute.