The Escambia County Bar will receive a special award in July, in recognition of the county’s “Law Day” program and the thousands of students it has benefited in almost 40 years.

The Escambia County Bar is the recipient of a “Local Bar Award of Achievement” from the Alabama State Bar (ASB). In a letter announcing the award, ASB Assistant Executive Director Edward M. Patterson wrote, “Your bar provides a real-life experience for seniors by allowing them to serve as jurors in actual criminal cases that are tried in the courtroom.

“The cases tried this year appear to be especially relevant to the experiences and challenges seniors face as they graduate and move on to other endeavors. We also note with interest your bar added voter registration in 2015 to have a greater impact and to place an emphasis upon citizen participation for those seniors eligible to vote.”

More than 18,000 high school seniors have participated in the Law Day program, which recently completed its 39th consecutive year.

Patterson invited County Bar President Charles E. Johns Jr. to receive the award in person on Thursday, July 16. The award will be presented during the ASB’s Annual Bench and Bar Luncheon and Awards Program, at the Grand Hotel Marriott in Point Clear.

“Congratulations upon leading an outstanding bar association in sustainable projects that benefit the community in which your lawyers live and practice,” Patterson wrote.