Orr recalled court battles fought by attorneys all the way back to the nation's second president John Adams, who defended British soldiers accused of murder in the infamous Boston Massacre of 1770.
Orr noted that Adams, as have many attorneys, fought for justice even at personal risk.
"That's where you and I come in," said Orr. "We are charged with carrying forward that great legacy to see that everybody enjoys the right to counsel."
Orr also encouraged the audience to speak out against future cuts by the state to the public defender system.
Orr was also one of three award recipients at the luncheon, receiving the A.R Kenyon Award. Reggie Forrester, Hall County's court administrator, received the Liberty Bell Award, given each year to a non-lawyer who has been instrumental in furthering the legal profession in the region. And Ari Mathe, the chairperson of Law Day for the past four years, received the very first Leadership Award for Young Lawyers.
The celebration of Law Day dates back to 1958. The theme for this year's event was "The Legacy of John Adams from Boston to Guantanamo."
Friday's event was sponsored by the Northeastern Judicial Circuit Bar Association.
Attorney Wyc Orr challenges his fellow lawyers during his 2011 Law Day speech
Reggie Forrester visits with Judge Andrew Fuller after Law Day luncheon
Reggie Forrester, Ari Mathe, Wyc Orr
http://accesswdun.com/article/2011/5/238492