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The Chicago Bar Association (CBA) with the Chicago Public Library and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum presents a provocative two-day event, "The Legacies of Nuremberg: 60 Years Later," March 29 and 30, at locations around Chicago.

On March 29, Northwestern Law will host the lecture "The Third Reich & the Legal Profession" from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Lincoln Hall, 357 E. Chicago Ave. This event is free and open to the public.

The Holocaust was an unprecedented crime—a crime composed of millions of murders, wrongful imprisonments, and tortures, of rape, theft, and destruction. In the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust, the world was faced with a challenge-how to seek justice for an almost unimaginable scale of criminal behavior. The International Military Tribunal (IMT) held at Nuremberg, Germany, attempted to broach this immense challenge on a legal basis.

Between November 1945 and October 1946, the International Military Tribunal (IMT) at Nuremberg tried 21 "major" war criminals on charges of conspiracy, crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Twelve of those convicted were sentenced to death; three defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment; four to prison terms ranging from 10 to 20 years, and three of the defendants were acquitted. Subsequently, American military tribunals conducted 12 further trials of high-ranking German officials at Nuremberg.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the IMT, a watershed moment in international justice whose implications still reverberate in our own time.

"At Nuremberg, for the first time in history, an international tribunal put on trial the perpetrators of aggressive war and genocide," said Michael B. Hyman, CBA President. "The world soon forgot the lessons of Nuremberg. Today, again, there is genocide in the world and war crimes trials. Our event reminds all of us of the immutable necessity of a diverse and impartial judiciary, a vigorous and independent bar and a legal system which cherishes democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental human rights."

The two-day event consists of programs for both the general public and the legal community. Programs will range from Holocaust survivors recounting their experiences, to presentations on the legal profession in Nazi Germany, the continuing efforts to bring former Nazis to justice, the legacies of the Holocaust on international law and in combating genocide today.

"The history and lessons of the Holocaust and the Nuremberg trials have profoundly shaped contemporary notions of justice," says Dan Napolitano, the Museum's Director of Education. "As the first war crimes trials, the IMT at Nuremberg established the existing framework for prosecuting war criminals. By reflecting on these legacies, we can find guidance to deal with the myriad world events confronting us today. Our organizations are thrilled at the opportunity to collaborate together in bringing these programs and learning opportunities to the citizens of Chicago."

For more information about "The Legacies of Nuremberg: 60 Years Later" and for a full schedule of all events, visit the CBA Web site or the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

About the Chicago Bar Association
Founded in 1874, the Chicago Bar Association is the leading metropolitan bar association in the country. The CBA is governed by a 23-member Board of Managers and has 55 Practice Committees, 23 Service Committees and 15 Special Committees, which provide a wide variety of services to the legal profession, the state and federal courts and the public.

About the Chicago Public Library
The Chicago Public Library is comprised of the Harold Washington LibraryCenter, two regional libraries and 76 neighborhood branches. The ChicagoPublic Library offers a rich resource of books, DVDs, audio books andmore, provides free access to the Internet and WiFi in all of itslocations, as well as free public programs for children, teens andadults.

About USHMM
Situated among our national monuments to freedom, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is both a memorial to the past and a living reminder of the moral obligations of individuals and societies. The museum fulfills its mission through a public/private partnership in which federal support guarantees the institution's permanence and hundreds of thousands of donors nationwide make possible its educational activities and global outreach. More than 23 million people - including more than 7 million schoolchildren - have visited the museum since it opened in 1993, and through its Web site, traveling exhibitions and educational programs, the museum reaches millions more every year.

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