by Kent Jennings Brockwell
Staff Writer
Law Week is usually just what the name implies — a week of observing the American legal system — but this year the Jacksonville Bar Association has planed for a month-long version of the annual celebration.
The theme will be “The American Jury: We the People in Action.”
Matt Roach, chair of JBA’s Planning Committee, said Law Week in Jacksonville will begin this year on April 18 with a proclamation by Mayor John Peyton at City Hall.
The annual naturalization service at the Federal courthouse will be April 28 when U.S. District Court Judge Harvey Schlesinger will preside over a ceremony that will grant U.S. citizenship to more than 30 immigrants.
Roach said a major part of Law Week is to educate the public about the importance of the legal system. This year the JBA has set up three programs for that purpose: a poster contest that is underway at a local elementary school, high school visits by judges and three “Law School for the Layperson” sessions at local libraries. Each one of these workshops will discuss different aspects of three specific areas of law - elder and probate law, tax law and family law.
Local Law Week festivities end May 5 with the annual Law Week luncheon. This year’s luncheon will be held at the Hyatt at noon but the guest speaker has not been announced yet.