On May 1, May Day gets all the attention. But it’s also — and has been since 1958 — a day set aside to celebrate the law. And this year’s national Law Day, some argue, comes as the power of the judiciary and the third branch of government is under assault.
On Thursday, scores of attorneys and several judges gathered in downtown San Diego to retake the sworn oath they took when they first earned their law license, a statement required from all attorneys in California. It’s short, just a few sentences, and pledges of the federal Constitution as well as the state’s.
Some 275 people signed up to take part in Thursday’s ceremony, filling the seats and lining the walls in the San Diego federal courthouse jury assembly room. Plus, they had a lot more company in spirit — the National Law Day of Action website listed more than 50 similar events from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Ore.
The San Diego County Bar Association, which co-hosted the event with the Federal Bar Association, issued a statement Thursday defending the rule of law and ing its , “particularly those targeted by recent government actions designed to harass, restrict, or prohibit their ability to represent clients.”
During his second term, President Donald Trump has issued executive orders aimed at specific law firms, targeting those that have represented entities counter to his interests or been involved in investigations of him.
It’s the first time in recent memory — and probably longer — that San Diego attorneys retook the oath en masse on Law Day, one association executive said.
Some attendees said retaking the oath was a way of defending the independence of the judiciary and the legal profession.
“This is the time where it’s more important than ever for attorneys to come and speak their mind and make their presence known and say that what’s going on in this country right now isn’t OK,” said Michael Garcia, chief deputy of the Office of Assigned Counsel, a part of the Public Defender’s Office.
San Diego City Attorney Heather Ferbert issued a statement that said, “In light of recent attacks on judges, lawyers, and law firms, it’s more important than ever to reaffirm our commitment as legal professionals to uphold justice, integrity, and the highest ethical standards.”
Before istering the oath to a packed room, Chief U.S. District Judge Cynthia Bashant gave the keynote speech, noting that while people are fallible, laws are “objective and disionate, applicable to everyone, evenhandedly.”
Bashant said she cringes when media reports detail which president appointed a judge, “because the suggestion is we’re ruling the way we are because we are political hacks or because of our political beliefs.”
“If we lose the prestige and respect historically given to the judiciary, then we have nothing,” Bashant added. “We have no army, we have no power of the purse. We rely on society to follow what we order.
“And if the suggestion is made that you don’t have to do what a judge orders because they’re just political hacks, then we lose our third branch of government and democracy as we know it.”
This story initially misidentified the source of a quote. It has been corrected to reflect that the speaker was Michael Garcia, chief deputy of the Office of Assigned Counsel, which is a part of the Public Defender's Office.
