The American Bar Association has joined with the Library of Congress and its Law Library to present a special traveling exhibit commemorating the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta. The exhibit, hosted by the Utah State Bar, will be on display at various sites in Utah from April 3-19.
The ABA Standing Committee on the Law Library of Congress unveiled “Magna Carta: Enduring Legacy 1215-2015” at the ABA Annual Meeting in Boston last August. Curated by the Library of Congress, the exhibit features 16 banners, 13 of which reflect spectacular images of Magna Carta and precious manuscripts, books and other documents from the Library of Congress’ rare book collections. The exhibit also incorporates a video, produced by the Library of Congress, showing the law librarian and the exhibit curator handling selected materials depicted in the exhibit and explaining their significance.
The exhibit was developed to raise awareness about Magna Carta’s enduring influence. High school video and essay-writing competitions are being held statewide to help students understand the importance of the world’s most enduring symbol of the rule of law. There will be awards ceremonies in conjunction with the exhibit shown throughout Utah.
The principles found in Magna Carta played a fundamental role in establishing the supremacy of the law in our constitutional, democratic society, including concepts embraced by the Founding Fathers in the Bill of Rights. The importance of Magna Carta to American laws and freedoms was highlighted at the ABA Annual Meeting as Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts Jr. spoke of its significance. “When we talk about Magna Carta today, we’re not celebrating antiquated relics of a time long past,” he said. “Instead, we are referring to a small collection of provisions that express kernels of transcendent significance.”
The schedule for the exhibit’s tour through Utah (all events are free and open to the public):
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April 3, Salt Lake City: Utah State Bar, 645 South 200 East, open house, 4-6 p.m., see the exhibit and enjoy medieval cuisine and beverages that span 800 years.
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April 4, Salt Lake City: Main Public Library, Main Floor, 210 East 400 South, 9 a.m-6 p.m.
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April 6-7, St. George: Washington County Courthouse, 206 West Tabernacle, 8:30 a.m-5 p.m.
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April 8-9, Orem: Utah Valley University Library, Lakeview Room (4th Floor), 800 West University Parkway, 10 a.m-5 p.m. on April 8, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on April 9.
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April 10-11, Logan: Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library Atrium, 3000 Old Main Hill, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on April 10, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on April 11.
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April 13-14, Ogden: Weber State University Shepherd Union, Exhibition Room #211, 3910 West Campus Drive, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on April 13; 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on April 14.
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Also April 13, 7 p.m.: Lecture by Professor Stephen Francis on Magna Carta in conjunction with the Weber Historical Society, Weber State University and the Weber County Bar Association in the Wildcat Theater, followed by Weber County Bar Association reception (adjacent to exhibit).
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April 15-17, Salt Lake City: Matheson State Courthouse Rotunda, 450 South State Street, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
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Also April 15 at Matheson State Courthouse: 12:30 p.m. in Room W19, brown bag talk on Magna Carta as an American Charter of Liberties, by Law Library of Congress Curator of Rare Books Nathan Dorn (available for attorney CLE credit).
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1:30 p.m. in the Rotunda: See the traveling exhibit with exhibit curator Nathan Dorn.
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April 18-19, Salt Lake City: Main Public Library, Main Floor, 210 East 400 South, 9 a.m.-6 p.m on April 18; 1 p.m.-5 p.m. on April 19.
For information about hosting the ABA Magna Carta Traveling Exhibit, please contact Elissa Lichtenstein at elissa.lichtenstein@americanbar.org.
For further information about ABA’s “Magna Carta: Enduring Legacy 1215-2015,” visit http://ambar.org/mctravelingexhibit