Gathering at Federal Courthouse a Powerful Display of Support for Rule of Law

More than 200 legal professionals gathered at the downtown Federal Courthouse Plaza on May 1 to participate in the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s (LACBA) National Law Day of Action, joining thousands across the country in reaffirming their commitment to the rule of law and judicial independence.

The ceremony featured powerful speeches from leading legal figures, including Sarvenaz Bahar, President of LACBA; Hon. Sergio C. Tapia II, Presiding Judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court; and Hon. Dolly M. Gee, Chief U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California. A symbolic re-administration of the attorney’s oath reminded participants of their solemn duty to support and defend the Constitution.

                            

LACBA President Sarvenaz Bahar, a certified appellate specialist and immigrant, delivered a stirring message about the fragility of democratic institutions and the urgent need for vigilance. “When protections are lacking, there are no checks on governmental power,” she said. “If we care about our democracy, silence is not an option. Democracy is not self-sustaining. It must be constantly fed and nurtured. What we do today will determine the justice system we leave to our children and generations.”

Judge Tapia emphasized the judiciary's vital role in maintaining public trust and acting as a safeguard against overreach. “Trust in the judiciary is not given freely. We must continually earn it by understanding the people that we serve,” he said. “The judiciary is the check and balance of the executive and legislative branches.” Citing the landmark U.S. v. Nixon decision, he reminded the audience: “Even the president is not above the law.”

Hon. Dolly M. Gee spoke to the symbolic power of reaffirming the attorney’s oath. “This includes educating our fellow citizens about the importance of the judiciary as a separate and co-equal branch of government,” she said. “An independent judiciary is one of the foundational pillars of American democracy… This is Civics 101.” She noted that defending judicial independence is a nonpartisan duty: “This is, and should be, a non-partisan issue upon which all of us, as American citizens, can agree.”

Attorney and civic advocate Laura Brill reflected on her time clerking for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and urged the legal community to engage young people. “Getting students involved in voter registration is not only about civic engagement—it's about sustaining democracy,” she said.

About The Day of Law

Nationwide, nearly 10,000 people participated in Law Day events, which were first established in 1958 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to honor the role of law in American society. This year’s observance, organized under the theme of protecting the rule of law, underscored the legal community’s shared commitment to justice, constitutional checks and balances, and public education.

“As attorneys and judges across the country stand together, we send a powerful message that the rule of law must be protected,” Bahar said. “This isn’t about politics—it’s about principles essential to our democracy.”