On May 1, 2026, the legal profession returned in force for the second annual National Law Day of Action. From the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. to courthouses, plazas, and bar association halls across the country, lawyers, judges, and legal advocates publicly reaffirmed their oath to the Constitution and stood in defense of the rule of law.
By the numbers:
More than 75 coordinated events
Over 65 cities in 25 states
3,000+ participants
100+ state and local bar associations, national legal advocacy organizations, law schools, and affinity bar groups
What distinguished this year's mobilization was the breadth of institutional participation — sitting and former judges, bar presidents, members of Congress, retired military officers, state Supreme Court justices, deans, and thousands of practicing attorneys across every region and every practice area — signaled that Law Day of Action has become a sustained annual presence on the legal profession's calendar.
The Nation of Laws Coalition, with lead support from Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) and the Task Force for American Democracy, coordinated the event nationally, working alongside hundreds of local organizers in the weeks leading up to May 1. A full list of national coalition partners who made the campaign possible can be found here.
A FLAGSHIP EVENT AT THE SUPREME COURT
"When we raised our right hands and took our oaths, we did not swear to care about the Constitution. We swore to support and defend it. That is active. That is ongoing. And right now, it is demanding."
In Washington, D.C., L4GG produced one of the campaign's flagship events on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court. Traci Feit Love, Founder and Executive Director of L4GG, opened the event with three asks of the legal community: attention, bravery, and commitment.
The event featured a remarkable lineup of speakers from every corner of the profession:
"People have wondered, where are the lawyers? I say we are here."
Sandy Paik and Ricardo Anzualdua, representing General Counsels United, spoke to the role of in-house and corporate counsel in defending judicial independence and the legal infrastructure that the broader economy depends on.
"We're here to take a stand for the constitutional principles that protect everyone — equal justice under law, due process, judicial independence, checks and balances, and professional integrity."
Phil Brest, President of the American Constitution Society, framed the work ahead as long-term and generational, urging attendees to build the relationships and institutions that outlast any single news cycle.
"The people who aren't lawyers, who can't get into a court, can't afford to pay a lawyer — they're counting on us to preserve the rule of law and protect this democracy."
Representative Glenn Ivey (D-MD), a former federal prosecutor and state's attorney, spoke to the obligation of accountability within the profession.
"If there was ever a time for us to fight for democracy, this is it, folks."
Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on lawyers to do what they were trained to do — advocate.
"When they issue a decision, it is not the end of the story. What we lawyers do next determines the future course of our democracy."
Barbara Arnwine, founder and president of the Transformative Justice Coalition, reminded the crowd that what lawyers do next will shape the country's future.
The most powerful moment of the day came at the close. Retired D.C. Superior Court Judge Herbert Dixon stepped forward to lead the oath ceremony — and made it his first act to expand who could take it.
"Law Day belongs to everyone. It honors the idea that the rule of law is not the property of any profession, but the shared inheritance of every person who lives under its protection."
The oath, Judge Dixon told the crowd, was not reserved for attorneys. It was for everyone present: judges, civil servants, veterans, family members, and members of the public who had come to bear witness. "You don't need a law degree," he said. "You don't need a bar card."
With right hands raised and the Supreme Court behind them, every person on the steps — approximately 150 attorneys and dozens more from the surrounding crowd — recommitted, out loud and in public, to the principles that make a free society possible.
The D.C. event was co-hosted by 14 organizations representing the breadth of the District's legal community: the American Constitution Society, Capital Area Muslim Bar Association, Constitutional Accountability Center, CREW, DC Caribbean Bar Association, DC LGBTQ+ Bar Association, Hispanic Bar Association of the District of Columbia, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, National Women's Law Center, Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington D.C., Washington Council of Lawyers, Women Lawyers on Guard, and the Women's Bar Association of the District of Columbia.
A LIVE PREGAME WITH LEGAL AF
The D.C. event was preceded by a live broadcast hosted by Michael Popok of Legal AF and Charles Jung, immediate past president of the San Francisco Bar Association and co-chair of the Nation of Laws Coalition. The two discussed the meaning of Law Day at this moment, the active obligations contained in every attorney's oath, and the choice the profession faces. Popok publicly reaffirmed his Florida Bar oath on-air. The segment streamed live on the Legal AF YouTube channel and reached tens of thousands of legal professionals and civic-minded viewers across the country.
A NATIONWIDE MOVEMENT
Law Day in Atlanta, Georgia
While L4GG led the flagship event in D.C., the heart of Law Day 2026 was its geographic reach. From Honolulu to Cedar Rapids, from Buffalo to San Diego, gatherings brought together lawyers, judges, state Supreme Court justices, bar association leaders, law school deans, and community members — standing publicly together at courthouses, plazas, and bar association halls in cities of every size.
Law Day in Chicago, IL
In Olympia, Washington State Chief Justice Debra Stephens joined the Washington State Bar Association's Law Day. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Daniel D. McCaffery stood with the Philadelphia Bar. In East Moline, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lisa Holder White and Iowa Supreme Court Justice Thomas D. Watermangathered together. In Buffalo, former U.S. Attorney Denise O'Donnell joined hundreds at Niagara Square. In Asheville, retired federal Judge Mark Green stood with the Buncombe County Bar.
Find a full list of 2026 Law Day events and photos and media from cities across the country. Learn more about the larger national campaign here.
A SUSTAINED MOVEMENT
What began in 2025 as a one-day mobilization has, in 2026, become an annual institution within the legal profession. The depth of participation — bar associations, courts, law schools, public defender and district attorney offices, federal bar chapters, affinity bars, and civic organizations standing together — signals that the infrastructure for collective action is stronger this year than ever.
“We are paying attention. We are brave, and we are committed — not just to the words we spoke today, but to the work ahead.”
WHAT COMES NEXT
The challenges that brought lawyers to courthouses on May 1 have not ended. We continue to see executive orders targeting law firms for representing disfavored clients, judges threatened for issuing lawful rulings, court orders treated as optional, and individuals deprived of due process. The legal profession's response is the test of this moment.
L4GG's work continues every week. Through our weekly newsletter, the Impact Docket, we provide attorneys and supporters with concrete actions they can take to defend the rule of law, support our democracy, and fulfill their professional oath. Pro bono opportunities, advocacy campaigns, litigation support, and community engagement programs run year-round.
To stay engaged, sign up at L4GG.org/LawDay or visit L4GG.org/Volunteer to learn about our pro bono programs and clinics.
