media releases

OLYMPIA, WA, (May 1, 2026)  — In commemoration of Law Day, Washington Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra L. Stephens and Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) President Francis A. Adewale gathered today with state leaders, educators, and students at the Temple of Justice in Olympia to launch a statewide pledge campaign: Legal professionals are being called into classrooms to teach experiential civics lessons on Constitution Day, Sept. 17, 2026.

“This year, the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and we want to recognize our ongoing commitment to the rule of law,” said Chief Justice Debra L. Stephens, Washington State Supreme Court. “As a legal community, we feel deeply compelled to respond to a rise in civic cynicism, and one of the most meaningful and hopeful ways we can do so is by speaking to the next generation of leaders. Legal professionals witness the (U.S.) Constitution’s real-world application and promise every day, and that’s the perspective we can bring to the classroom. We want every student to understand their power—because the Constitution and the future belong to them.”

At today’s Law Day event, educators joined lawyers and judges to speak about the power of their partnership. A classroom visit from a caring adult volunteer can make a difference in the life of a student. For many, this may be their first time meeting a legal professional — or imagining a legal career as a possibility for themselves. Then Chief Justice Stephens asked her colleagues to raise their hands to take the Law Day pledge, echoing the professional-oath ceremony. Bearing witness were 50 student delegates from the 79th Washington YMCA Youth Legislature, who were able to take a seat on the state’s highest court bench and envision their unlimited futures.

The campaign’s aspirational goal is to recruit 3,500 or more legal professionals to be in a classroom as Classroom Ambassadors on Constitution Day, which is roughly equivalent to the number of K-12 schools in Washington.

“We want Washingtonians to know that we are united as a legal profession when it comes to upholding the rule of law and cultivating trust in and understanding of our legal system—that is one of our most important professional responsibilities,” said Francis A. Adewale, President of the Washington State Bar Association. “We are investing our energy where it can do good—into classrooms, to bring concepts like justice and fairness to life. Every one of my colleagues who takes the pledge to visit a classroom on

Constitution Day is spreading a message to our youth, that on our nation’s 250th anniversary, they get to dream and lead the next 250 years.”

The Law Day campaign is a special initiative of the ongoing Lawyers in the Classroom program, a joint effort of the Washington State Courts, Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), and WSBA. The program equips legal professionals with pre-designed, grade-appropriate civics lessons and helps them connect with local teachers and schools—making it straightforward for both sides to participate.

“This is a critical moment for public education and for our democracy,” said Chris Reykdal, Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction. “Young people are navigating a rapidly changing world, and they deserve to understand the institutions that shape it and to have confidence in their ability to shape the future. A strong public education system is the foundation of a thriving democracy—and when legal professionals walk into classrooms on Constitution Day, they strengthen both.”

The call to the classroom is being amplified by legal communities across Washington, with county and affinity bar associations, law schools, and judicial leaders joining the effort statewide. Getting started is easy: Legal professionals sign up on  Law Day web page. Between now and Constitution Day, the WSBA and Lawyers in the Classroom program will support each volunteer as they connect with a teacher and prepare an age-appropriate, experiential civics lesson.

WSBA Rule of Law Ambassador Program

This Law Day’s classroom initiative builds on the Rule of Law Ambassador program, launched by WSBA on Law Day 2025 when nearly 2,000 legal professionals recommitted to their oaths at courthouses, law schools, and tribal land across the state. The program was created in response to declining public trust in democratic institutions and growing civic polarization. It provides legal professionals with tools, resources, and guidance to serve as community educators and trust-builders.

The Ambassador Program introduced a three-step framework: becoming versed in the Constitution and the functions of American democracy; practicing connection-based community engagement; and demonstrating a nonpartisan commitment to civil discourse. In the year since its launch, the program has grown steadily with legal professionals across Washington signing on as ambassadors. The program has created a host of resources, such as ongoing live seminars to help legal professionals demystify hot topics in the law in their communities; a traveling judicial panel that coalesces and trains legal ambassadors to combat growing violence against judges; and a research project to understand sources of dis- and misinformation about the legal system.

This Law Day, we mark the Ambassador program’s second anniversary by taking the momentum into schools. The Constitution Day classroom pledge is the Ambassador program’s most concrete, large-scale call to action to date — translating its mission into a direct, student-facing moment at a pivotal anniversary in American history.

Watch the Law Day 2026 press conference a the Temple of Justice in Olympia.