While English will help any Oleh get their foot into the door at prestigious Israeli law firms, an Oleh’s Hebrew ability is no less important, albeit for different reasons. While American trained lawyers are often hired for their ability to draft and review contracts in English, U.S. legal training and connections abroad, it is still regarded as essential to have strong reading and conversational Hebrew skills in order to interact with colleagues and local clients. 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:

• Corporate Law (with experience in contracts and securities); and
• 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. We recommend that law students and younger attorneys planning their Aliyah aim to gain experience in corporate law as their transition into the Israeli workspace will be smoother and employability will be greater.

Qualifying as a Foreign-Practicing Lawyer:

The Israel Bar Association provides an exemption from taking the Israel Bar Exam for lawyers that have at least five years of legal experience in their home country. This status applies several restrictions unto one’s ability to practice law in Israel, and each individual seeking such status should conduct their own due diligence to see whether or not this status will impact their ability to effectively practice law.

In order to provide legal services under foreign law in the state of Israel, foreign lawyers and foreign law firms operating in Israel must be registered with the Israeli Bar Association (“IBA”) pursuant to Sections 98f and 98i of Bar Association Law, 5721- 1961. This registration is mandatory.

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. If you are self-employed, write a letter on your letterhead stating the length of time that you have been in private practice.
4. Proof (from the bar) that you are an attorney: a Certificate of Good Standing will usually be enough.

YOU MUST SUBMIT THESE DOCUMENTS TO THE ISRAEL BAR ASSOCIATION AT LEAST ONE MONTH (IDEALLY WE SUGGEST 3-6 MONTHS) BEFORE YOU TAKE YOUR FIRST DINEI YISRAEL EXAM. Include a cover letter (in English or Hebrew) asking for confirmation that you (1) have submitted all of the necessary documents; (2) are eligible to take the exams; and (3) will be exempt from the post-internship written and oral exams (if applicable).

Qualifying as an Israeli lawyer without restriction:

1. Recognition of legal credentials (see below)
2. Examinations prior to articles: “Dinei Yisrael” test
3. Period of Articles (internship or “stag”)
4. Written examination after Articles (exemption given to lawyers with 5 years’ experience)
5. 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; or
• 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.

For further information about admission to the Israeli bar for foreign trained lawyers, please see the website of the Israel Bar Association.

If you have questions about your eligibility to meet Israeli licensing requirements, please see: Professional Licensing 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.

For further information about admission to the Israeli bar for foreign-trained lawyers, please see the website of the Israel Bar Association which is the final arbiter of all law licensing requirements.

Disclaimer: The information below is subject to change and is a general overview. Details change from time to time. For current information refer to the Israel Bar Association website.

Written Examinations: “Dinei Yisrael”

There are no available exemptions from the Dinei Yisrael examinations, and at least six of the following exams must be completed prior to beginning one’s internship. The Dinei Yisrael examinations requirement is also applied unto foreign-practicing lawyer candidates. Each exam is three hours, however Olim applicants are allowed an additional hour for each exam (a total of four hours).

The Dinei Yisrael exams include:

• Optional Hebrew Language Exam (see below);
• Torts, Contracts and Labor Law;
• Property Law;
• Family and Inheritance Law;
• Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure;
• Civil Procedure and Professional Ethics;
• Commercial Law A (Corporations, Partnerships and Business Organizations);
• Commercial Law B (Bankruptcy, Liens, Secured Transactions and Tax Law); and
• Constitutional and Administrative Law.

Candidates who have less than 2 years of experience practicing law abroad 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. Those who have more than 2 years of experience can begin an internship after passing the Hebrew language exam and can take the substantive exams throughout the course of their internship or afterwards. 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 language exam).

Cost of Dinei Yisrael Exams

While there is a cost for each Dinei Yisrael exam, Olim Chadashim may be 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.

Review Course

The bar review company, Hamitmaheh, offers a review course for each of the aforementioned exam subjects.

Dates of Dinei Yisrael Examinations

The Law and Hebrew examinations are held twice a year. There are no retest examinations.

Written Bar Examination after Internship

UPDATE: This section will review what is commonly referred to as the Israel Bar Exam, which is the final examination an intern must complete following his or her internship and prior to his or her admission to the bar. The Israel Bar Exam has undergone a number of changes in recent years, as discussed in the introductory article above (hereinafter referred to as the “New Exam”). It should be emphasized at the outset that the New Exam has been reformatted with the specific intent to make it more challenging. The previous format of the bar exam was split in two: a multiple choice exam and an oral exam. Today, there is no oral exam, and instead the multiple choice exam has been supplemented with a handwritten section. The New Exam is offered twice a year: in June and December, however the Bar Association has indicated that these time slots are not fixed and are subject to change on an as needed basis.

The New Exam is split into three section: (1) written section (15 points), (2) procedural law multiple choice questions (45 questions equaling 45 points), and (3) substantive law multiple choice questions (40 questions equaling 40 points). The written section is 45 minutes, however Olim are entitled to additional time of 20 minutes. The procedural law multiple choice section is 119 minutes, however Olim are entitled to additional time of 45 minutes. The substantive law multiple choice section is 160 minutes, however Olim are entitled to additional time of 70 minutes.

The written section, which was first tested in September of 2017, tests the examinee’s ability on three levels: (1) content (9 points), (2) organization (3 points) and (3) written ability (3 points). Note that while Olim are at a disadvantage in this section due to their written abilities, the examiner may only devote 3 points to such criterion. The format of this section is as follows: a fact pattern is given to the examinee, and using case precedents and statutory law provided by the Bar Association, the examinee is expected to draft either a legal opinion or a court document (complaint, motion, etc.), depending on the given prompt.

The procedural law multiple choice section tests an examinee’s ability to memorize the law. This section was included on the old Bar Exam format and has remained unchanged. Below is a list of the laws tested for this section:

• Civil Procedure;
• Criminal Procedure;
• Hotza’ah Le’Poal (Enforcement of Judgments);
• Arrests and Detainments;
• Evidence;
• General Court Proceedings;
• Constitutional Law;
• Ethics;
• Labor Law;
• Family Law; and
• Bankruptcy Law.

The substantive law multiple choice section is, along with the written section, a new feature of the New Exam. The substantive law multiple choice section tests an examinee’s ability to apply statutory and precedential law. This section is the longest section of the New Exam and is an ‘open-book’ section. Examinees are provided with a booklet prepared by the Israel Bar Association with a compilation of statutory law designed to help the examinee answer the questions. Below is a list of the laws tested for this section:

• Property Law;
• Property Tax;
• Corporate Law (Business Organizations, Liens, Secured Transaction and related subjects);
• Contracts Law;
• Torts Law;
• Criminal Law;
• Inheritance Law; and
• Commercial Paper.

A passing score for this exam is currently 60 points. On January 16, 2019, following a legislative exchange between an organized group of law interns, several members of Knesset, the Israel Bar Association and the Ministry of Justice, the passing score was lowered from 65 to 60. As this development is new, one should take into account the volatility at play. The general feeling amongst the Israeli legal community is that the current situation is not etched in stone – both with respect to the New Exam’s format or the passing score.

As described above, lawyers who have practiced abroad for at least 5 years are eligible for an exemption from this exam. 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. Our understanding is that the pass rate for Olim has dropped dramatically with the transition to the New Exam. In December of 2018, only 28% of Olim (this includes individuals who made Aliyah as children and have had extended time to assimilate and learn Hebrew) passed on their first attempt, and of examinees that studied law abroad only 2% passed.

To pass the New Exam, an examinee must possess near fluency in Hebrew.

There is currently one bar review company: Hamitmache. This company also offers prep courses for Dinei Yisrael exams. They offer different options regarding course length and you may be able to purchase only the materials. There are discounts for early registration as well as group rates. Expect to pay about 2,500-3,000 NIS for a complete course.

In order for a British law degree to be recognized by the Israeli Bar Association (Lishkat Orchei Din), it must be a three-year LLB degree. The LLB degree is a prerequisite to sitting for the Israeli bar exam. Those who complete a non-law degree, take the one-year CPE, do a two-year internship, and pass the UK bar must practice law for a minimum of two years in the UK in order to be eligible to begin the licensing process in Israel.

There are many parallels between both the law school system and legal system in the UK and Israel. In Israel, as in the UK, a student applies directly to the law faculty of a university. The course of study is 3 years, followed by a period of “Articles” (in Israel, the required length of the internship – stag – is currently 12 months), and ending with the bar exam. In addition, the legal system in Israel is based on Common Law as it is in England, making it less difficult for English barristers and solicitors to transfer their experience. Those with commercial, international, and intellectual property experience find their skills most marketable.

UK Olim who want to become licensed to practice law in Israel must sit for the Dinei Yisrael exams prior to starting the period of Articles. Upon passing these exams, they must then do a 12-month stag (those with extensive legal experience can petition the Bar Association to reduce the length) and then sit for the Bar exam (those with a minimum of 5 years of legal experience are exempt from this exam).

The Tel-Aviv based British law firm Asserson has a summer internship program, which is open to all University students who have an interest in law, are considering making Aliyah and are looking for experience working in Israel. The program is 2 weeks long and provides students with hands-on experience working with trainees, associates and partners in the firm. The firm offers the Asserson Prize, which requires applicants to write an essay, and the winner will receive a paid return flight from the UK for the internship. Please see: https://asserson.co.uk/internships/