What a Nike Store Closure May Have in Common with Your Deadlines

On a recent trip to a local outlet mall in Colorado, my daughters and I saw a short line and a small crowd in front of the Nike store as we approached it. None of the other stores had lines out-the-door, and we wondered what event or sale might be occurring. We walked up to the door and read the sign in confusion. “CLOSED.” It felt like a random day in June, until we remembered that June 19^th is a day of observance of Juneteenth. As I walked away, confused shoppers stood in front of the store still waiting for it to open, and it made me wonder about the possible obscurity of this holiday to our clients.

Missing a holiday on the calendar could mean missing a deadline. Many of our clients may have experienced court closures and deadline changes in observance of Juneteenth, and not known the historical significance of the holiday.  On the same day in 1865, troops were sent to Galveston, Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. Many may be surprised to learn that well after President Lincoln freed the slaves – 2 years after – over 150,000 African-Americans remained enslaved in Texas. Juneteenth, a combination of the words “June” and “Nineteenth”, is a day representing African-American freedom. It became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021 recognized in all 50 states, and adopted through legislation as a legal holiday in at least 24 and the District of Columbia.

Juneteenth is discretionarily observed in jurisdictions across the United States, including Colorado, Texas, and Illinois. Also look for changes from the naming of “Columbus Day” to “Indigenous’ Peoples’ Day” or “Native American Day”, which is observed in October in most jurisdictions.

Because at LawToolBox our attorneys check for deadline changes using proprietary software, you do not need to worry about catching changes to the holiday calendar such as these. Our rulesets are updated with changes daily, and you might notice Juneteenth or Indigenous Peoples’ Day in your jurisdiction!