HARRISBURG (April 26, 2002) - In partnership with county bar associations, the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) today launched the third annual statewide Law Month effort titled �Symbols of Freedom.� Beginning April 26 with kick-off events throughout the state and continuing through May 30, the Law Month celebration is bringing together close to 1,000 judges, lawyers and schools to help children learn about the law and our country�s unique symbols of freedom.

The official statewide kick-off ceremony was held at Oliver Heckman Elementary School in Langhorne, Pa, and featured PBA President-elect Timothy J. Carson, Bucks County Bar Association President Christopher Brill and Director of Elementary Education Richard Marotto. During the program, fifth-grade student Caitlyn Kershaw was honored for winning the association�s statewide poster contest, which centered on the Symbols of Freedom theme. Following the ceremony, judges and lawyers visited classrooms to talk with students about the law.

�The PBA is pleased to join with the students at Heckman Elementary School to kick-off Pennsylvania�s Law Day celebration,� President-elect Carson said. �Since the events of September 11, teaching about the rule of law has taken on new significance. It is now more important than ever for students, young and old, to share in the knowledge of what makes our country stand apart.�

To achieve these goals, the PBA, in conjunction with LEAP-Kids Inc., developed the Law Day 2002 K-12 Lesson Plan & Idea Guide to help educators, judges and lawyers bring the law to life for students. The guide includes law-related lesson plans for all grade levels, ready-to-copy handouts and useful informational resources for educators. In addition, the guide helps educators prepare for the Proposed State Academic Standards for Civics and Government by correlating each lesson plan to the appropriate academic standards it satisfies.

Local and county bar associations partnering in the statewide celebration include: Allegheny; Beaver; Berks; Blair; Bucks; Butler; Cameron; Carbon; Centre; Chester; Clearfield; Clinton; Crawford; Cumberland; Dauphin; Elk; Erie; Fayette; Franklin; Fulton; Greene; Huntingdon; Indiana; Jefferson; Lawrence; Lebanon; Luzerne; Lycoming; Mercer; Monroe; Montgomery; Northampton; Philadelphia; Schuylkill; Union; Venango; Washington; Wayne; Westmoreland; and York. For more information about the Law Month celebration and to view the lesson plan guide, visit the PBA Web site at www.pabar.org.