Law Day 2014
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The 2014 Law Day Luncheon was held on Thursday, May 1, 2014 at Pachamama's Alton Ballroom, 800 New Hampshire Street.
The 2014 Law Day theme was "American Democracy and the Rule of Law: Why Every Vote Matters". As we approach the 50th anniversaries of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the 2014 Law Day theme calls on every American to reflect on the importance of the right to vote and the challenges we still face in ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to participate in our democracy.
The keynote speaker was Stephen Douglas “Doug” Bonney, Chief Counsel and Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas. He manages the litigation program and supervises the ACLU’s legal interns and law clerks. He has been a member of the Legal Panel of ACLU of Kansas since 1992. He has successfully litigated numerous civil liberties cases for the ACLU, including challenges to the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department’s parade policy, the Westport Adult Curfew Ordinance, and Missouri’s display of a Christian religious symbol on its city seal.
The 2014 Liberty Bell Award was presented to Kansas Advocates for Better Care, a non-profit organization founded in 1975 as Kansans for Improvement of Nursing Homes. Its founder, Anna B. "Petey" Cerf, was the recipient of the Liberty Bell Award in 1989, as reported in this Lawrence Journal-World article. The organization’s mission is to “promote quality long-term care for residents of licensed adult care homes.” KABC provides informational seminars on preventing abuse, neglect and exploitation of elders to the public and to workers employed in long-term care. KABC also advocates in the Kansas legislature in support of bills that promote quality long-term care for elders. The organization has evolved over the years. KABC’s interest in long-term nursing care has expanded beyond nursing home care to include in-home care, assisted living, adult day care, and respite care. KABC continues its mission to advocate for the fundamental rights of all nursing home residents to be treated with dignity and respect and to receive decent care.