Roosevelt Art Students win Top Awards at Law Day

The Polk County Bar Association gives students a chance to get creative with the law as part of the annual Law Day celebration. Chief among the activities is the visual arts, music, essay and poetry competition for students in grades 6 through 12  in Polk County.

Law Day has been celebrated since 1958 when President Dwight Eisenhower signed the proclamation declaring it a day to celebrate and strengthen the American heritage of liberty, justice and equality under the law.

The theme of the 2015 contest was “Magna Carta: Symbol of Freedom Under Law.” Perhaps more than any other document in human history, Magna Carta has come to embody a simple but enduring truth: No one, no matter how powerful, is above the law. In the eight centuries that have elapsed since Magna Carta was sealed in 1215, it has taken root as an international symbol of the rule of law and as an inspiration for many basic rights Americans hold dear today, including due process, habeas corpus, trial by jury, and the right to travel.

This year’s winning students were honored at a special luncheon at the Downtown Des Moines Marriott Hotel on May 12.  The featured speaker was Tre Critelli, a Des Moines lawyer and English barrister.

AP 2D Art students

1st place  Melissa Lauer

3rd place Annie Smith