Introductory Course on German and EU Legal and Political Systems, Art, History, Architecture, and Religion (In Germany)
Introductory Course on German and EU Legal and Political Systems, Art, History, Architecture, and Religion
In Germany
The Federal Bar Association welcomes you and your guest to join our journey through the Germany. Our immersive program will engage with local attorneys, scholars, and artists offering poignant commentary on the German and EU legal and political systems, art, history, architecture, and religion; while allowing for ample time to explore the storied history of this country.
For More Information:
2026 FBA Germany Brochure May
Pricing and Registration:
FBA Journey to Germany – CLE Abroad
CLE AGENDA
Agenda subject to change. CLE Credits anticipated.
Timed CLE Agenda Germany May 2026 (1)
These educational sessions provide a structured introduction to the German legal and constitutional system, examined through a comparative and practice-oriented lens and offered through the perspective of local experts. The program emphasizes the operation of the civil law tradition, its integration with European Union law, and the practical implications for cross-border legal practice, particularly in the context of German–U.S. legal and commercial relationships.
BERLIN
Wednesday, May 6 | 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
The German Bar Association (DAV): The Practice of Law and Regulation of Lawyers in Germany
This program offers a comprehensive and comparative examination of the structure, regulation, and professional culture of legal practice in Germany. Set within the civil law tradition, the session explores how the German legal profession is organized, regulated, and sustained through a combination of statutory frameworks, bar governance, and professional ethics. Participants will gain insight into the role of the German Bar Associations (Deutscher Anwaltverein and regional chambers) in safeguarding the independence of the legal profession, upholding ethical standards, and ensuring access to justice. The program will examine the rights and obligations of German attorneys (Rechtsanwälte), including admission requirements, professional conduct rules, and continuing
responsibilities within a highly regulated system. In addition, the session will address Germany’s approach to legal aid and access to justice, including state-supported mechanisms that ensure representation across socioeconomic lines. Comparisons to
U.S. models of pro bono service and bar regulation will provide valuable context for understanding key distinctions between civil and common law systems. By situating these topics within both legal doctrine and practical application, this program offers a
nuanced understanding of how Germany maintains professional accountability, public trust, and the effective delivery of legal services.
- Christine Martin, Head of International Affairs, German Bar Association (DAV)
- Stefan von Raumer, President, German Bar Association |Deutscher Anwaltverein (DAV)
Thursday, May 7 | 9:30am – 11:00 am
Inside Germany’s Criminal Justice System: A Study of Berlin’s Moabit Criminal Court
This program offers a focused examination of Germany’s criminal justice system through the operations of the Moabit Criminal Court (Kriminalgericht Moabit) in Berlin, the largest criminal court in Europe. Using this venue as a practical framework, participants will explore how criminal matters are investigated, prosecuted, and adjudicated within a civil law system. The session will highlight key features of German criminal procedure under the Strafprozessordnung (StPO), including the roles of judges, prosecutors (Staatsanwaltschaft), and defense counsel in a judge-led process that differs from the U.S. adversarial model. Particular attention will be given to evidentiary standards, pre-trial investigation, and the court’s duty to establish the facts (Amtsermittlungsgrundsatz, StPO § 244(2)). Participants will also examine defendants’ rights and procedural safeguards grounded in the German Basic Law (Grundgesetz), including due process protections and human dignity principles (Arts. 1 and 20 GG). The program will address victims’ participation rights, including the Nebenklage mechanism (StPO This session provides a concise, practice-oriented, and comparative perspective on how Germany administers criminal justice while ensuring fairness, accountability, and public trust.
- Hon. George Plüür, Presiding Judge, Amtsgericht Tiergarten (Berlin)
Friday, May 8 | 8:00pm – 9:30 pm
German & EU Lawmaking and Parliamentary Governance: A Study from Inside the Bundestag
This program provides a focused examination of Germany’s legislative process and the central role of the Bundestag within both the German constitutional framework and the broader European Union system. Participants will explore how legislation is developed, debated, and enacted under the German Basic Law (Grundgesetz), and how national law interacts with binding European Union directives and regulations. The session will examine the structure and function of the Bundestag, including committee work, coalition governance, and the legislative process as set forth in Articles 76–78 of the Grundgesetz. Particular attention will be given to the relationship between the Bundestag and the Bundesrat, and the mechanisms through which federal states participate in lawmaking. Participants will also gain insight into how EU law is incorporated into German domestic law, including the principles of supremacy and direct effect as recognized by the Court of Justice of the European Union, and Germany’s constitutional approach to EU integration (Arts. 23 and 24 GG). The program will further address transparency, democratic accountability, and ethical considerations in parliamentary governance. By situating these issues within the working environment of the Bundestag, this session offers a practical and comparative perspective on legislative governance in a modern civil law democracy.
- Representatives of the German Bundestag
Saturday, May 9 | 10:00am – Noon
From Statute to Atrocity: The Role of Lawyers at Wannsee Conference
This program provides a rigorous examination of the Wannsee Conference of January 20, 1942, as a defining moment in the bureaucratic and legal coordination of the Holocaust. Rather than marking the decision to commit genocide, the conference functioned as a high-level administrative meeting to formalize and operationalize policies already underway, translating ideology into coordinated state action. Through a legal and historical lens, participants will analyze how lawyers, jurists, and government
officials facilitated the transition from discriminatory legislation to systematic mass atrocity. The session will explore the role of legal frameworks, including the Nuremberg Laws (1935), in establishing the foundation for exclusion, dispossession, and deportation, and how administrative law mechanisms were used to legitimize and implement these measures. The program will also examine the evidentiary record of the Wannsee Protocol as a critical legal document, later relied upon in post-war prosecutions, including the Nuremberg Trials, and its relevance to the development of modern international criminal law. Discussion will connect these events to contemporary legal principles, including crimes against humanity as articulated in the Nuremberg Charter (1945) and subsequent codifications under international law. By situating these issues within the historic site of the House of the Wannsee Conference, this session offers a profound and practice-oriented reflection on the ethical responsibilities of lawyers, the misuse of
legal systems, and the enduring importance of the rule of law.
- Representatives of the House of the Wannsee Conference
NUREMBURG
Monday, May 11 | 10:00am – Noon
Nuremberg Palace of Justice: From Courtroom 600 to the Foundations of Modern International Criminal Law
This interactive, site-based session at the Nuremberg Palace of Justice places participants inside Courtroom 600, where the Nuremberg Trials fundamentally reshaped the trajectory of international law. Through guided analysis and facilitated discussion, participants will engage directly with the legal, historical, and institutional significance of the International Military Tribunal and the twelve subsequent proceedings. The session moves beyond a traditional lecture format to incorporate on-site interpretation, primary source context, and comparative dialogue. Participants will examine how the trials marked a decisive shift from doctrines of sovereign immunity and victor’s justice toward the establishment of individual criminal responsibility under international law.
Particular emphasis will be placed on the trials’ groundbreaking contributions to the development of international criminal law, including the articulation of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes against peace, as well as their enduring influence on contemporary tribunals and institutions. The discussion will also consider procedural innovations, evidentiary challenges, and critiques of legitimacy that continue to inform modern international legal practice. By situating legal analysis within the physical and historical setting of Courtroom 600, this session provides a dynamic and immersive exploration of how Nuremberg continues to shape the interpretation, enforcement, and evolution of international law today.
- Hon. Stephan Husemann, Judge, Higher Regional Court (Oberlandesgericht) Nuremberg
- Nina Lutz, M.A., Director of the Memorium Nuremberg Trials
- Axel Fischer, Research Specialist, Memorium Nuremberg Trials
- Dr. Pablo Gavira Diaz, Project Officer, International Nuremberg Principles Academy
MUNICH
Wednesday, May 13 | 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Judicial Governance in Bavaria: Structure, Administration, and Comparative Insights
This lecture offers a rare “behind-the-scenes” look at the Bavarian State Ministry of Justice, the supreme authority for one of Germany’s most robust judicial landscapes. This session examines the administrative and political heart of the justice system in the Free State of Bavaria. Hosted by representatives of the Ministry, the lecture explores how the state manages a portfolio that includes over 100 courts, the public prosecution service, and the entire Bavarian correctional system.
- Dr. Isabella Schayan (Rpfl), Ministerial Councillor, Bavarian State Ministry of Justice
Wednesday, May 13 | 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
From Stein to Statute: Legal Regulations of Beer & the German Beer Purity Act
This lecture explores the unique legal history of one of Germany’s most protected cultural assets: beer. Far from being a mere beverage, beer in Germany is governed by a complex web of historical decrees and modern statutes that have shaped the nation’s consumer protection laws and industrial standards for centuries. The session traces the evolution of brewing regulations from medieval guild rules to the world-renowned Reinheitsgebot (Purity Law) and its integration into contemporary European law.
- Dr. Michael Zepf, Beer Sommelier, World Brewing Academy, Doemens Academy
FOR PRICING INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER:
FBA Journey to Germany – CLE Abroad
For inquiries regarding CLE Abroad in Germany please contact the CLE abroad team:
By Email: team@cle-abroad.com
By Phone: (858) 707-7887