News & Events

Law Day and Naturalization Ceremony Set for May 1

The public is invited to celebrate citizenship and the rule of law at the annual Law Day and Naturalization Ceremony, Monday, May 1 at 2:00 p.m. in Courtroom No. 1 of the Lebanon Municipal Building, 400 South Eighth Street, Lebanon.

Law Day is designed to bring judges, lawyers and schools together to teach students about the law and the legal system, and to celebrate the American heritage of liberty, justice and equality. This year’s theme is “The 14th Amendment: Transforming American Democracy.” The 2017 theme provides the opportunity to explore the many ways that the 14th Amendment has reshaped American law and society. Through its Citizenship, Due Process and Equal Protection clauses, this transformative amendment advanced the rights of all Americans. It also played a pivotal role in extending the reach of the Bill of Rights to the states. Ratified during Reconstruction a century and a half ago, the 14th Amendment serves as the cornerstone of landmark civil rights legislation, the foundation for numerous federal court decisions protecting fundamental rights, and a source of inspiration for all those who advocate for equal justice under law.

The celebration will include guest speaker Thomas Place, Professor of Law at Penn State Dickinson School of Law. Place teaches course on Advanced Criminal Procedure, Constitutional Law I, Criminal Procedure, First Amendment — Free Speech, and Post-Conviction Process.

New U.S. citizens will be sworn in, and new attorneys will be admitted to the Lebanon County Bar. The event also will include special music by students from Palmyra High School, and presentations from the Daughters of the American Revolution.

President Judge John C. Tylwalk will present an award to the winner of the Lebanon County Bar Association Essay Contest. This year’s winner is Ryan Daub, an eighth-grade student in the ELCO School District.