State Bar of Arizona, Arizona Supreme Court and courts across the state celebrate 2026 Rule of Law Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2-19-2026

Contact: Danny Shapiro, public relations manager

Phone: 602.340.7337

Email: danny.shapiro@staff.azbar.org

State Bar of Arizona, Arizona Supreme Court and courts across the state celebrate 2026 Rule of Law Day

PHOENIX – The State Bar of Arizona, Arizona Supreme Court and courts across the state came together on Feb. 12 for readmission of oath celebrations in honor of Arizona Rule of Law Day.

Ceremonies were held in counties across Arizona as hundreds of attorneys retook their oath and heard from some of the state’s top legal leaders about commitment to a historic profession that helps resolve disputes and achieve a measure of justice.

“You are not swearing allegiance to a client, cause or political party,” Chief Justice Ann Timmer of the Arizona Supreme Court said at the Maricopa County ceremony, held on the west steps of the State Courts building in Phoenix. “You are swearing to support the Constitution of the United States, and the constitution and laws of the state of Arizona.”

Lawyers across the state retook their oath in a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, known as the United States Semiquincentennial.

“I knew it not in my head, but in my bones that there was something more important, something bigger that needed protection,” said Hon. Pamela Gates, Presiding Judge in Maricopa County. “Now I know what that was – the rule of law.”

The ceremonies were held in conjunction with a landmark week that included Arizona’s 114th statehood birthday and the birthday of 16th President Abraham Lincoln, who was an attorney for nearly 25 years.

The statewide events highlighted the value of the rule of law, a system where laws govern; everyone in society is accountable; and laws are fair, just and applied equally to all.

“We understand the rule of law is not self-executing,” Chief Justice Timmer told attendees. “It depends on people and institutions willing to defend it. We see that most clearly when it disappears.”

State Bar of Arizona President Sam Saks encouraged legal professionals who attended reaffirmation ceremonies around the state to spread the importance of the rule of law to their colleagues.

“We have to be proactive, especially with new lawyers, because the practice of law has changed,” Saks said. “You are the kind of people they need to meet.”

A replay of the reaffirmation of oath ceremony in Maricopa County is available HERE.

About the State Bar

The State Bar of Arizona is a nonprofit organization that operates under the supervision of the Arizona Supreme Court. The Bar includes more than 19,000 active attorneys and provides education and development programs for the legal profession and the public. Since 1933, the Bar and its members have been committed to serving the public by making sure the voices of all people in Arizona are heard in our justice system.

;