1. Were the Rosenbergs spies for the Soviet Union?

2. What was Ethel’s role?

3. Did gender play a role in the conduct and outcome of the trial? If so, how so?

4. Did the Rosenbergs deserve the death penalty?

5. How do you assess Judge Kaufman’s handling of the trial and sentencing?

6. How does our system of justice bend under the weight of national crisis?

7. What lessons can we draw from this case with respect to the handling of current cases against terrorists?

For other questions and teaching materials, see:

• Federal Judicial Center, The Rosenberg Trial — Legal Questions Before the Federal Courts, at: http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/tu_rosenberg_questions.html.