ABA marks America’s 250th anniversary with campaign and traveling exhibit  

The American Bar Association is launching a yearlong campaign and a two-year traveling exhibit to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 

The campaign will include a variety of programming and events aimed at connecting the ideals of the Declaration of Independence to contemporary legal practices. It will be headed by a planning committee that includes distinguished lawyers from each of the states constituting America’s original 13 colonies.

The ABA initiative also features a traveling exhibit, “250 Years of Independence: Fortifying America’s Commitment to Democracy for All,” curated by the ABA Standing Committee on the Law Library of Congress, which explores the evolving meaning of independence and the role of the rule of law.

“The ABA is pleased to mark this 250th anniversary and explore our nation’s founding through the lens of law, justice and the goal of equality,” said ABA President-elect Michelle Behnke, who will oversee the campaign during her presidency.

“This campaign isn’t about history alone. It’s about how principles, written on parchment in 1776, established the foundation for our democracy and continue to matter today. It’s about how law became the language through which freedom is defended and rights are claimed. 

“And it’s about how lawyers and judges, advocates and citizens are called to stand guard over those promises,” Behnke said.

The standing committee will produce a series of webinars, panel discussions and public programs throughout 2025-26. 

The ABA encourages practices to join the campaign, with other bar associations and legal organizations, to highlight the role of lawyers, as 25 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were lawyers. 

For information on how to host the traveling exhibit in a community or at an event, email anna.snyder@americanbar.org.

For more information, visit www.ambar.org/declaration250

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