Lawyers Without Rights: Traveling Exhibit Comes to Lexington

KEJC is proud to co-sponsor the exhibit “Lawyers Without Rights: Jewish Lawyers in Germany Under the Third Reich” at the Fayette Circuit Courthouse, July 2 through July 20. Fellow co-sponsors include the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, the Central Kentucky Inn of Court, the Kentucky Access to Justice Commission and the Fayette County Bar Association.

The international traveling exhibit opened on Monday, July 2nd with a reception and program. During the program Mayor Jim Gray issued a proclamation commemorating the day, which he presented to KEJC Board Member John Rosenberg. Mr. Rosenberg and Alice Goldstein shared their experiences as Holocaust survivors and spoke about the importance of the exhibit.

“Lawyers Without Rights” is a project of the American Bar Association and the German Federal Bar. The exhibit has visited more than three dozen American cities. It tells the history of the exclusion, detention and murder of Jewish lawyers in Germany.

One of featured lawyers is Dr. Margarete Berent, who became the first female lawyer in Prussia in 1925. After being barred from practicing law by the Nazis, Berent was able to escape to Chile and later to New York City. There, she earned her LL.M from the New York University School of Law and was able to begin practicing law again at the age of 63.

“Lawyers Without Rights” will be on display at the Fayette Circuit Court in the multi-purpose room on the first floor through Friday, July 20th. The exhibit is free and open to the public from 8:30 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday.