For any EU candidate country, the road to accession is long and arduous; for Ukraine, those challenges are magnified by Russia’s ongoing invasion, now in its fifth year. Along with the need to recover and rebuild, the country has its work cut out for it adopting and implementing the EU’s vast body of internal market legislation, aligning national laws with EU standards on everything from product safety to the regulation of services. To succeed, Ukraine will require a host of legal experts well versed in both EU and Ukrainian law.

To help meet this need, Jones Day launched the ‘Future in Europe Program – European Union Law Studies for Ukraine’ in April 2026. Developed in partnership with Chernivtsi National University and open to law students at all Ukrainian universities, this 14-session educational initiative is designed to support Ukraine’s path toward EU accession by equipping the next generation of Ukrainian lawyers with foundational knowledge of EU law.

The online course is taught by experienced Jones Day lawyers and covers core areas of EU law, including but not limited to EU constitutional law, internal market legislation, trade law, sanctions and export controls, competition law, intellectual property rights, human rights and environmental, social and governance considerations. These areas and others provide a critical foundation for understanding the legal framework that will shape Ukraine’s future within the EU.

The programme is designed for Ukrainian students who aspire to a broad range of careers, including private practice, in-house roles, government service, the judiciary and prosecution. So far, each session has attracted more than 100 students, with participation growing across multiple Ukrainian universities.

About the programme, one of its leaders, Kaarli Eichhorn, Partner, Jones Day and prior vice-chair of AmCham EU, said:

‘As Ukraine’s accession process moves forward, the next generation of Ukrainian lawyers will benefit from already starting to understand the basics of the EU’s important legal framework. We are proud to play a part in building Ukraine’s future in the EU.’

Jones Day intends to continue the programme for several years. It complements various other company efforts to support legal education in Ukraine and Ukrainian law students. The Jones Day Foundation has for several years funded law student scholarships in Ukraine and – coordinated through Goethe University – Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich. Together, these initiatives reflect the Foundation’s longstanding commitment to supporting the rule of law and improving access to legal education in Ukraine and beyond.