Lawyers

Finding a Job | Knowledge of Hebrew | Documents to Bring |
Admission to the Bar | Dinei Yisrael Exams | Exams after Internship

There are thousands of qualified lawyers in Israel today, and the number increases each year as more advocates qualify for the Israeli bar.

Information about practicing law in Israel can be found at: www.israelbar.org.il. For specific inquiries, write to mitmahim@israelbar.org.il or call the Lishkat Orchei Din at (02) 566-0271 between the hours of 8:30 and 1:00 (Sunday through Thursday).

Finding a Job

As Israel holds the distinction of having the most lawyers per capita of any country in the world, lawyers can be found in any city. By far, the largest number of lawyers and law firms can be found in Tel Aviv, with Haifa and Jerusalem following distantly behind. Salary levels for attorneys in Tel Aviv are usually higher than those in Jerusalem. Jerusalem and Tel Aviv also have possibilities in governmental work. Occasionally, Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University and Bar-Ilan University require the services of a lawyer from abroad with a particular area of expertise. Alternatively, many lawyers go into private practice, either on their own or in partnership with other advocates.

Israel’s legal system is based on Common Law, so lawyers who are familiar with Common Law-based legal systems adapt easily. In Israel, practices tend to be small, with a one or two-person firm being the norm, rather than the exception. The larger Israeli law firms boast more than 150 attorneys. Specialization has become more common in recent years.

If you're seeking employment in the legal field, be in touch with LawJobs, a legal placement firm in Tel Aviv that works primarily with English speaking lawyers. For more information, see www.lawjobs.co.il.

Knowledge of Hebrew

In many of the larger law firms and corporate law departments, knowledge of Hebrew is beneficial but not always essential. In hi- tech and other international business areas, English speaking lawyers spend much of their time negotiating and drafting agreements exclusively in English. Litigation and real estate practices require a substantially higher level of Hebrew proficiency as they are more localized and Hebrew language intensive.

In private practice, where generating business is critical, it is clearly to the attorney's advantage to be bilingual. Ulpan and continued improvement of Hebrew reading, writing and negotiating skills are very strongly recommended.

Areas of law often sought after by firms seeking to hire English speaking attorneys:
1. Corporate Law (with experience in contracts and securities)
2. Intellectual Property Law (with experience in patent prosecution and/or licensing-type agreements)

Attorneys with a large variety of specialties now practice law in Israel, but those with expertise in the areas listed above may have a substantially easier time finding positions and moving up within their companies.

Documents to Bring
1. Diploma: bring either an original or a copy of your original law school diploma. It should be certified by an Israeli attorney or the consulate.

2. Transcripts: bring two copies of your official transcripts from college and law school.

3. Proof of length of practice: obtain a letter, either from your employer or the bar, specifying the dates of employment by every employer since law school.

4. Proof (from the bar) that you are an attorney: a Certificate of Good Standing will usually be enough.

THESE DOCUMENTS MUST TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE BAR AT LEAST ONE MONTH BEFORE THE EXAM YOU ARE PLANNING TO TAKE, BUT WE SUGGEST THAT YOU SEND THEM 3-6 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE EXAM.

Include a cover letter (in English or Hebrew) asking for confirmation that you:

• Have submitted all of the necessary documents
• Are eligible to take the exams
• Will be exempt from the post-internship written and oral exams (if applicable)

Admission to the Bar
In order to be admitted to the Israeli Bar, Olim must meet the following 5 requirements:

• Recognition of legal credentials
• Examinations prior to articles: “Dinei Yisrael" test
• Period of Articles (internship or “stag”)
• Written and oral examinations after Articles
(exemption given to lawyers with 5 years experience)
• Residency in Israel

Recognition of Legal Credentials

• A law degree from a university that is recognized by the Faculty of Law of the Hebrew University.
• At least 2 years of experience as a lawyer or a judge while holding a license to practice in your country of origin. In other words, you must have at least two years of experience in judicial functions for which only persons with legal education are qualified.

Certificates of recognition of past legal experience must be obtained from the Law Society or other official judicial authorities in the country in which you were licensed to practice law.

All certificates, degrees, diplomas, etc. must be submitted to the Israel Bar (Lishkat Orchei HaDin). Their address is: 1 Chopin St., Jerusalem.

Make sure you have notarized copies of all documents that you submit. Always retain the original document.

Written Examinations: "Dinai Yisrael"

There are no available exemptions from the Dinai Yisrael examination, and the exam is taken prior to internship. The exam consists of 3 hours for the Hebrew Language paper and 3 hours for the Law papers. New immigrant applicants are allowed 4 hours for each section.
The law exam includes:

• Obligations (Tort and Contract) and Labor Law
• Property Law
• Family and Succession Law
• Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure
• Civil Procedure and Professional Ethics
• Commercial Law A (Corporations, Partnerships and other Associations)
• Commercial Law B (Bankruptcy, Liquidations, Bills of Exchange and Tax Law)
• Constitutional and Administrative Law.

Candidates are required to pass the Hebrew examination and six of the eight law examinations before starting internship. The remaining two examinations can be taken during or after the internship. The passing grade for these examinations is 61.

Any or all of these tests can be taken years before making Aliyah. An attorney who is in Israel on a pilot trip or vacation can take the exam. Some Olim have found it beneficial to be able to tell potential employers that they have already passed all of their qualifying exams. This also alleviates one cause of stress upon arrival in Israel.

The questions on all law examinations are in Hebrew, but the answers may be written in Hebrew or English (except for the Hebrew test).

English Prep Course for the Dinei Yisrael tests
David Seville offers English preparatory classes for the bar. To register, call the bar directly at 02-5660271. The cost of the course is 500 NIS, and it is not reimbursed by the government.

You should check the dates of the preparatory classes before you decide on an Aliyah date.

Cost of Dinei Yisrael Exams
The cost of each of the Dinei Yisrael exams is 160 NIS, and applicants must take the Hebrew exam and the eight substantive Dinei Yisrael exams. Olim Chadashim are entitled to reimbursement from Misrad HaKlita for the full cost of the exams. You must go to your regional Misrad HaKlita office with the receipt of your payment.

Dates of Dinei Yisrael Examinations
The Law and Hebrew examinations are held twice a year, in January and in August. There are additional Hebrew examinations set in April and in October. There are no retest examinations.

Written and Oral Examinations after Internship

The written and oral examinations are held twice yearly, in May and November. They are taken after completing articles and include the following theoretical and practical subjects:

a) Procedure in courts, execution, office and bankruptcy.
b) Procedure of registering lands and rights on real estate.
c) Procedure of registering corporations, partnerships and liquidations.
d) Interpretation of laws and judicial documents.
e) Professional ethics.
f) Evidence.
g) Recent changes in case law and legislation.

Lawyers who have practiced abroad for at least 5 years are eligible for an exemption from these exams. IF YOU SEEK AN EXEMPTION, IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE IS RECOGNIZED BY THE BAR. It is suggested that you write to the bar prior to Aliyah to ascertain whether you indeed qualify for this exemption.

Attorneys generally study for this test full time for 3 to 5 months. The written exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions in Hebrew to be completed within 3.5 hours. The oral exam is given a few weeks later to individuals who have passed the written exam. Our understanding is that the pass rate for Olim without Hebrew on a native level is approximately 65% on the first try.

Note: The examinations require proficiency in Hebrew. Without near fluency, it is difficult to pass.

A review course, Machshavot, is designed to prepare you for the written and oral examinations after internship. The course costs approximately 5000 NIS. It is only offered in Tel Aviv. The review materials, whether or not you take a course, are approximately 2500 NIS, and the cost of the tests is 1100 NIS (including membership in the Israel Bar). The review course is given in Hebrew in two 5 hour sessions per week.

Special thanks to Laura L. Woolf, Editor-in-Chief of English Language Publications at the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption.

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