Nevada dignitaries attend reception in honor of Magna Carta
Sixteen banners displaying information about the Magna Carta served as the backdrop for an event of judicial elbow-rubbing Thursday afternoon in Las Vegas.
Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt spoke to the small crowd in attendance about the significance of the 800-year-old document.
“This charter penned a couple of key principles — the largest being equality before the law,” Laxalt said of the Magna Carta, which influenced the creation of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
The event celebrated the conclusion of a traveling exhibit that made its way to Las Vegas to educate the public about the Magna Carta’s place in history.
About 100 judges and attorneys sat on chairs in the foyer of the Sawyer Building for the invite-only reception at the exhibit, which has made 37 stops in the United States since 2014. Las Vegas has been hosting the exhibit, which wrapped up on Friday, since May 23.
The exhibit, hosted by the Nevada attorney general’s office, was organized by the American Bar Association, Law Library of Congress and the Library of Congress. No tactile artifacts related to the document were on display, but informative vinyl banners lined the back of the room.
Laxalt acknowledged the relative dryness of the event but said the exhibit held educational value for Nevadans.
“This isn’t Game One of the NBA Finals,” he said afterward. “But this is a cool thing for the state.”
Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice Ron Parraguirre and Gov. Brian Sandoval also spoke at the event and later posed for pictures with those in attendance.
“It’s quite the opportunity for us to be able to host it,” Sandoval said.
Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0342. Find @BlakeApgarLV on Twitter.
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the dates of the exhibit.
