A key component of the observance will take place in high schools across the country, as lawyers, judges, teachers and students engage in a "Dialogue on Brown v. Board of Education," exploring the history of the decision and its continuing legacy in American law and society.
Archer, 61, said that for many people, this year's Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action was the most important civil rights case since the Brown ruling.
O'Connor's decision in a case involving the University of Michigan preserved the concept of affirmative action on campus. The court reasoned that the goal of a racially and ethnically diverse campus was important enough to justify giving minority applicants an edge.
In the ABA poll, 72 percent of respondents agreed strongly or somewhat that a fair legal system depends on racial diversity among judges, lawyers, court employees and law enforcement.
— Associated Press and news releases
