Chief Justice Roberts to speak at ABA Annual Meeting, kicking off Magna Carta 800th anniversary

WASHINGTON, June 2, 2014 — Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts Jr. will be the keynote speaker at the American Bar Association House of Delegates meeting at 11 a.m. on Aug. 11 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. The session of the ABA’s policymaking body will conclude the 2014 ABA Annual Meeting.
Roberts will speak about the historical and present-day significance of the Magna Carta, which laid the groundwork for representative democracy and the rule of law upon its signing in June 1215. His appearance will officially kick off the commemorative activities by the ABA and others of the document’s 800th anniversary next year.
“The American Bar Association is honored by Chief Justice Roberts’ acceptance of our invitation to speak to the nation’s largest lawyers’ organization to mark this once-in-a-lifetime celebration,” ABA President James R. Silkenat said. “The Magna Carta inspired many of the basic constitutional rights we often take for granted, including trial by jury and due process. We are very pleased that the chief justice will help us mark this watershed occasion.”
The ABA Annual Meeting is the nation’s premier gathering of legal professionals and features high-profile speakers, essential legal programs and insightful debate on critical law and public policy issues.