This Law Day, May 1st, The Legal Aid Society does not simply reflect on the role of law in our democracy — we reaffirm, out loud and in action, our commitment to the rule of law at a time when it is under direct attack.

“At a time when the rule of law faces unprecedented threats—from mass deportations to the open defiance of court orders—we cannot be silent,” said Twyla Carter, Attorney-in-Chief and CEO of Legal. “We are not just practitioners of the law; we are its stewards, guardians, and conscience.”

Across every system The Legal Aid Society serves—housing, immigration, child welfare, and criminal defense, among others—the organization’s attorneys and advocates are witnessing how these attacks fall hardest on those already made vulnerable by racism, poverty, and exclusion.

This is a constitutional crisis, not a partisan claim. It is a factual reality, and as public interest lawyers and defenders, The Legal Aid Society refuses to stand apart from it.

To mark Law Day 2025, Legal Aid held a citywide oath ceremony where staff across all offices gathered—both in person and virtually—to collectively reaffirm their oath as administered by The Hon. Judge Joseph A. Zayas and The Hon. Edwina G. Richardson.