DES MOINES, Iowa, April 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has formally proclaimed May 1 Law Day in Iowa. Branstad issued the proclamation at the request of ARAG®, a leading provider of legal insurance, and the Polk County Bar Association (PCBA).
"Law Day celebrates the many ways that the rule of law contributed to the freedoms that Iowans enjoy," says Emily Chafa, PCBA President. "The governor's proclamation gives Iowans the opportunity to rededicate ourselves to protecting the freedom and rights of all individuals."
Since 1958, the president of the United States has proclaimed May 1 to be Law Day. This year's theme – Magna Carta: Symbol of Freedom Under Law – commemorates the 800th anniversary of this "Great Charter of Liberties" and how it inspired many of the basic rights that Americans value, particularly the right of all citizens to due process of law.
"ARAG is dedicated to making quality legal services accessible and affordable for all Americans," says David Murray, President and CEO of ARAG. "Partnering with the Polk County Bar Association allows us to increase awareness in our community of the importance of all individuals' legal rights."
To celebrate Law Day in Iowa, ARAG is sponsoring an essay contest to help elementary students learn more about America's legal system. Hundreds of students at The Downtown School in Des Moines are submitting essays on this year's theme.
For students in grades six through 12 in Polk County, the PCBA is sponsoring a visual arts, music, essay and poetry competition. "Our state motto clearly states: Our Liberties We Prize, Our Rights We Will Maintain," Chafa says. "The annual Law Day student competitions build awareness for the importance of these basic principles of our legal system."
Winners from both the ARAG- and PCBA-sponsored contests will be announced and honored at the Polk County Bar Association Annual Meeting luncheon on May 12.
In addition to helping students understand the importance of the law, ARAG is teaming up with its Attorney Network to bring a greater awareness of legal rights to our community. ARAG asked its nationwide network of more than 10,000 attorneys to submit ideas for Law Day events in their communities. ARAG will award $500, $750 and $1,000 to the top three ideas.
About the Polk County Bar Association:
The Polk County Bar Association is the largest local bar association in the state of Iowa. It provides continuing legal education, social and networking opportunities to its members, who practice in a wide variety of legal fields. Members are judges, private practitioners, government workers and corporate legal counsel.
PCBA is a non-profit, volunteer organization working to serve and improve the legal and judicial system while providing public service to the community. For more information about the Polk County Bar Association visit pcbaonline.org.
About ARAG:
ARAG ® (www.ARAGgroup.com) is a leader in legal insurance. It provides people with affordable and reliable legal counsel for everyday life matters. The company has an international premium base of more than $2 billion and protects 15.5 million individuals and their families – worldwide. We give you the freedom and control to embrace life's opportunities.
ARAG's North American headquarters are based in Des Moines, Iowa. We've earned the prestigious Center of Excellence Award for eight consecutive years (2007-2014) and have been named a Top 100 Call Center by BenchMark Portal for four consecutive years (2011-2014), continuing our track record of industry-leading customer service. ARAG team members voted ARAG a Best Places to Work in Insurance (2009-2014).
For more news and information about ARAG visit ARAGgroup.com.
Media Contact:
Jen Harken, Corporate Communications Manager
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