Ethics Challenge 2026

CFA Society Los Angeles is proud to host the Inaugural Ethics Challenge in Los Angeles.

This Ethics Challenge is a competition organized by CFA Institute and CFA Society Los Angeles’ Advocacy and Ethics Commission to prepare students for the ethical dilemmas they may face in their careers.

We invite you all to attend this great event to watch graduate and undergraduate students present their analysis and recommendations to a panel of judges. The students put a great deal of work into their analysis and they will benefit greatly from presenting to an enthusiastic audience!

The presentations begin at 1:00pm on Friday, April 17th at California State University, Fullerton – Room to be announced.

Networking reception begins at 5:00pm and will also be held at California State University, Fullerton.

The Ethics Challenge provides students with an ethics case to study and evaluate based on the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct. Teams are then tasked with presenting their analysis and recommendations to a panel of judges. The challenge aims to increase awareness of ethical issues and the application of the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct. Teams must be able to identify violations of the Code and Standards, explain why they are violations, and suggest solutions or approaches to resolving the violations. Winning teams are based on the quality of their understanding of the ethical issues involved, recommendations, and the quality of their analysis, presentation, and responses to the judges’ questions.

Please come out and support these future charterholders, network with other society members and, if you are an alumni of one of the participating schools, you can cheer on your alma mater! This event is hosted for all CFALA members!

Special Thank You: We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Howard Marks, CFA for his generous support of the Ethics Challenge. His generosity ensures a strong foundation for the growth of future ethics challenges.  

“Over the course of my career, I’ve always believed that the list of things professional investors initially focus on – returns, competitive rankings, and earnings – is incomplete. The true professionals are those who hold themselves to a standard that goes beyond the numbers. It’s not just what you accomplished, but how you did it. Ethics are the foundation for success in finance, and I’m proud to support CFA LA’s inaugural Ethics Challenge.” – Howard Marks, CFA