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FRANKFORT — Attorney General Russell Coleman, of Crestwood, was honored with the Liberty Bell Award on April 25 at the Supreme Court of Kentucky’s Law Day celebration at the state capitol.
Chief Justice of the Commonwealth Laurance B. VanMeter presented the award after the attorney general gave his keynote speech for Law Day in the House of Representatives Chamber.
“The award is given to someone who promotes a better understanding of our government, contributes to the effective functioning of our institutions of government, stimulates a deeper sense of individual responsibility and encourages a greater respect and appreciation of the rule of law,” VanMeter said.
The Liberty Bell Award was established more than 40 years ago to acknowledge outstanding community service. Coleman was elected the 52nd attorney general of Kentucky in 2023, building on his two-decade career in public service.
“Every day I work with scores of talented prosecutors, litigators and advocates in the Attorney General’s Office,” Coleman said in his speech. “We are dedicated to the most important tasks of government — public safety and defending the constitutions of our country and our commonwealth. I can tell you, in the four months I’ve been in this role, I’ve come across more interesting legal issues and questions than in an entire year of billable hours.”
Law Day is a nationally designated day for Americans to celebrate the rule of law.
Established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1958, Law Day is a day for Americans to celebrate their liberties and rededicate themselves to the ideals of justice, liberty and equality under the law. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed every May 1 as Law Day, U.S.A.
“As lawyers, we serve an important role in maintaining a country governed by law,” VanMeter said. “We are entrusted by the public to uphold and promote the constitution of the law. We have a responsibility to educate the public on our system of government and the importance of citizen participation, the fundamental foundation of our society.”
The 2024 Law Day theme, which the American Bar Association selects each year, is Voices of Democracy and acknowledges that, in democracies, the people rule. For nearly 250 years, Americans have expressed their political views and wishes by voting in elections.
As part of the Law Day celebration, the chief justice swore in a group of new attorneys who had recently passed the bar exam. Their families and friends watched from the gallery in the House of Representatives chamber. In his remarks, Coleman urged the new attorneys to use their expertise to serve the public.
“Kentucky needs dedicated and talented attorneys ready to get into the arena, folks who care deeply about the rule of law, but also understand that the rule of law isn’t self-effectuating,” Coleman said. “It requires driven citizens of character to strive to defend it. In our adversarial system, it requires attorneys with a fire in the belly who will zealously advocate for their side, all while protecting the foundational structure.”
The Kentucky native was U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky from 2017-21, serving as the chief law enforcement officer for 53 counties and two military bases.
VanMeter closed the ceremony with these words for the new attorneys, “I encourage all of you as new lawyers to take seriously your duty to uphold and promote the constitution and the rule of law in order to protect our system of government for future generations.”
The Administrative Office of the Courts is the operations arm of the judicial branch (Kentucky Court of Justice) and is based in Frankfort. The AOC supports the activities of nearly 3,300 employees and 413 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks and executes the judicial branch budget.