Hebrew University Faculty of Law

Hebrew University Faculty of Law
Name	Hebrew University Faculty of Law
Native name	הפקולטה למשפטים, האוניברסיטה העברית בירושלים
Established	1922
Type	Faculty
City	Jerusalem
Country	Israel
Parent	Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Hebrew University Faculty of Law is a leading law faculty located in Jerusalem and affiliated with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Founded in the early 20th century, the faculty has influenced Israeli legal development, comparative jurisprudence, and international law through its graduates, scholars, and institutional initiatives. It maintains ties with courts, ministries, and international organizations such as the Supreme Court of Israel, the Ministry of Justice (Israel), and the United Nations.

History

The faculty traces its roots to the establishment of Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the early Zionist period, with foundational figures who engaged with the legal legacy of the Ottoman Empire, the British Mandate for Palestine, and the subsequent State of Israel. Early faculty members interacted with prominent jurists who served on the Supreme Court of Israel and participated in drafting key instruments such as the Israeli Declaration of Independence and legislation enacted by the Knesset. During the 20th century, the faculty hosted visiting scholars from institutions like Harvard Law School, Oxford University, and Sorbonne University, which shaped comparative law curricula addressing issues from the Nuremberg Trials to the Geneva Conventions.

Academic Programs

The faculty offers undergraduate and graduate programs including the LL.B., LL.M., and doctoral degrees, with specialized tracks covering Israeli Basic Law, International Court of Justice-oriented public international law, and comparative private law linked to courts such as the European Court of Human Rights and the International Criminal Court. Joint degrees and exchange arrangements have been launched with universities including Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, University of Cambridge, and University of Toronto. Curriculum components include seminars on subjects like Administrative law (Israel), Constitutional law (Israel), Criminal law (Israel), and electives influenced by scholarship from figures associated with New York University School of Law and Stanford Law School.

Research and Centers

The faculty hosts research centers and programs that engage with litigation, policy, and scholarship; notable units collaborate with international bodies including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Research themes have included human rights linked to organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, economic regulation engaging with the Bank of Israel and corporate governance studies referencing the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, and security law analyses in dialogue with the Israel Defense Forces. Centers have produced work cited in decisions by the Supreme Court of Israel and reports to bodies such as the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Faculty and Administration

The faculty's academic staff includes scholars who have served as justices on the Supreme Court of Israel, ministers in cabinets led by figures who worked with parties such as Likud and Labor Party (Israel), and advisors to institutions like the Central Elections Committee (Israel). Administrators have included deans who previously held posts at universities such as Hebrew University of Jerusalem and visiting chairs from Princeton University and University of Chicago. Faculty publications appear in journals including the Israel Law Review, the Harvard Law Review, and the European Journal of International Law.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Graduates and faculty have occupied positions as justices, legislators, diplomats, and academics. Among them are justices of the Supreme Court of Israel, ministers associated with coalitions involving Yesh Atid and Blue and White (political alliance), ambassadors to states such as the United States and the United Kingdom, and scholars who have taught at Columbia Law School and University of Oxford. Alumni have engaged in landmark litigation before bodies including the International Court of Justice and domestic cases heard by the Supreme Court of Israel.

Campus and Facilities

Located on the Givat Ram campus, the faculty's facilities include moot courtrooms modeled after courtrooms of the Supreme Court of Israel and libraries housing collections on civil codes from jurisdictions such as France and Germany. The faculty's law library holds works from publishers including Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press and archives connected to legal figures involved in the Mandate for Palestine era. Lecture halls host symposia with participants from institutions such as The Hague Academy of International Law and the Brookings Institution.

Admissions and Student Life

Admissions attract applicants who have matriculated from high schools across regions including Tel Aviv, Haifa, and the Negev, and from international feeder schools associated with programs at Yale Law School and University of Toronto. Student organizations organize moot court competitions referencing the International Criminal Court and debates on matters involving the Knesset, while clinics offer placements with legal aid providers like Legal Aid Department (Israel) and NGOs such as B'Tselem and Association for Civil Rights in Israel. Extracurricular activities include guest lectures by jurists from the Supreme Court of Israel and exchanges with law faculties at University of California, Berkeley and National University of Singapore.

Category:Hebrew University of Jerusalem Category:Law schools in Israel