This year's Law Day theme encourages all Americans to reflect on the importance of the rule of law in our lives and on what we can do as a nation to "advance the rule of law now." We are fortunate to live in a society where individuals and institutions are held accountable to a system of laws that are promulgated openly and enforced equally by an independent judiciary. The rule of law provides the foundation for just societies characterized by peace, stability, economic opportunity and respect for fundamental rights.