“Dialogue is born from a respectful attitude toward the other person, from a conviction that the other person has something good to say. It supposes that we can make room in our heart for their point of view, their opinion and their proposals. Dialogue entails a warm reception and not a preemptive condemnation” (Jorge Mario Bergoglio [Pope Francis], in Jorge Mario Bergoglio and Abraham Skorka, “Sobre el Cielo y la Tierra”, Translated by Alejandro Bermudez and Howard Goodman, in “On Heaven and Earth”, Image, 2013, at XIV).

This year’s Law Day theme, “Voices of Democracy,” provides an opportunity for New Yorkers to recommit to the exercise of our constitutional right to assemble peacefully and engage on issues of the day. These rights both protect the individual and strengthen our nation by allowing a communal free exchange of ideas, which can benefit all aspects of society. The New York legal community has traditionally led in providing platforms and forums for many of these interactions to take place. These efforts are more important than ever.