The Legal Profession in Israel
To legally practice law in Israel, you need to be an official member of the Chamber of Advocates. Requirements for acceptance in the Chamber of Advocates include:
- Must be a resident of Israel who is at least 23 years old
- Graduated from a university law school recognized by Israel's Department of Education
- Graduated from a law institute that has been recognized by the Minister of Justice
- Graduated from a recognized law institution outside of Israel
- Has completed one year of an internship
- Passed examinations given by the Chamber of Advocates
Judges in Israel must also be Israeli citizens and possess qualifications necessary to be included in the Chamber of Advocates. Lawyers who want to be considered for magistrate or district court judge positions should have practiced at least seven years in some field of law.
Earning a Law Degree in Israel
Israel has several law schools. Students entering these law schools must have proof of excellent grades and an undergraduate, or pre-law degree, from an accredited higher education facility.
In addition, students must take the Psychometric Entrance Examination and get a 600+ score on the exam before being accepted into a law program. Degrees earned by prospective lawyers include the LLB (Bachelor of Law), the LLM (Master of Law) and the PhD in Law.
The time it takes to obtain a degree in law in Israel is comparable to U.S. and European standards--between five and six years.
Tuition Costs
Depending on the type of law studied by international students, such as patent law or other specialized field, tuition may be significantly higher than traditional legal courses. Once again, tuition may vary from one law school to the other.