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Law Program

FASPE is an intensive, two-week study program in professional ethics and ethical leadership. FASPE is neither a Holocaust studies course, nor a genocide prevention program. Rather, the curriculum is designed to challenge Fellows to critically examine constructs, current developments and issues that raise ethical concerns in their professions in contemporary settings in which they work.

FASPE Law Fellows examine the motivations and conduct of German lawyers and judges in designing, enabling, and executing Nazi policies. FASPE then draws on these historical examples to help Law Fellows grasp their role and responsibility as individuals with influence in their communities; and to encourage them to identify and confront the ethical issues currently facing lawyers and the legal profession.

Each year, FASPE Law awards fellowships to 13 to 16 law students and early-career lawyers. Fellows spend two weeks in Berlin and Poland, where they visit key sites of Nazi history and participate in daily seminars led by specialized faculty. The program couples the power of place with academic rigor and many informal opportunities for creative exchange.

FASPE draws on a large pool of applicants, whose diverse backgrounds and interests enrich discussions both inside and outside the seminar room. Law Fellows travel with Business and Design & Technology Fellows, allowing them to broaden their understanding of the role of professionals over shared meals and activities and in several interdisciplinary seminars. FASPE Fellowships are fully funded so that financial ability does not affect participation.

Eligibility Guidelines

FASPE seeks Law applicants who fit into one of the following three categories: 1) are enrolled in a JD (or equivalent degree) program as a 2L or 3L at the time of their application; OR 2) are working in the legal profession (including a clerkship) at the time of their application and have received a JD degree no earlier than May 2020; OR 3) for applicants from education systems where law school training does not take place at the post-graduate level, applicants should have completed their requisite legal education in the applicable jurisdiction and be working as a trainee or associate (no more senior than a 6th year associate).

DATES FOR THE 2027 LAW PROGRAM: May 28, 2027 - June 11, 2027

To view photos of the 2026 Law program and to read about the experience, please go here.

FASPE Law Fellows examine topics such as:

• the complicity of German lawyers in the design and execution of Nazi racial laws and genocidal policies
• the difference between legal compliance and rules of ethics, on the one hand, and ethical behavior, on the other
• the ethical challenges of ambition in professional development
• ethics and government lawyering
• legal ethics in the context of technological innovations
• navigating multiple loyalties to employers, clients, systems of justice, legal frameworks and more
• tactics to address ethical issues within law firms and other institutions

International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, 1946.Gift of Ralph Goodman, Museum of Jewish Heritage, NY

FASPE Law Fellows now practice at major law firms and corporations, serve as law clerks in state, federal and international courts, work as prosecutors and public defenders and hold various government positions. Through their shared FASPE experience, Fellows form long-lasting relationships and deep bonds that grow over time. Law Fellows participate in formal and informal networks that provide support throughout their careers.

FASPE Law was initially developed in consultation with faculty at Yale Law School.