Message from the Dean
Welcome to the website of the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem!
If you are here, then I assume you already know something about the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and that you are interested in learning more. Whether you came here as students, as candidates for studies, as researchers, as graduates of the faculty, or whether you came simply as visitors - welcome to the faculty website - you've come to the right place.
Among other things, you may already know that the Faculty of Law is the leading academic institution in Israel for research and legal education. International rankings have also placed it high among other top-notched institutions for legal education. Perhaps you know that soon the faculty will mark 75 years to its foundation (and the Hebrew University - 100 years). Perhaps you already know that our alumni stand out as leaders of public opinion, and have proven tremendous impact in various platforms and fields - in the legal system, in public service as well as in the private sector, in thought and philosophy, in economics, in the tech industry as well as among political and civil leadership. Perhaps you know that the faculty is located in the refurbished and beautiful historic campus on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem (the invitation to come and visit us is always open) and, at the same time keeps its position at the forefront of legal and interdisciplinary research.
As a graduate of the faculty and as Dean today, I am proud of the faculty’s unique character, which combines excellence in teaching and research with actual contribution to society in Israel and worldwide. The faculty is first and foremost a community: a learning community, a teaching community, a challenging community, a supportive community, a thinking and knowledgeable community, a diverse and inclusive community, a critical community and, definitely a community that is worth being a part of.
Numerous and diverse study programs are available at the Faculty of Law, as it also benefits from (and contributes to) the prolific academic environment of the Hebrew University. Many of the faculty’s students pursue a joint degree, combing legal studies with various fields such as History and Political Science, International Relations, Philosophy, Business Administration, Psychology, Computer Science, and even Medicine. A wide variety of courses are available at the Faculty of Law, in a plentiful of relevant subjects and study programs. These include courses in commercial law, private law, public law, constitutional law, philosophy of law, international law, criminal law and criminology, comparative law courses, legal research methods, interdisciplinary courses, workshops and seminars. The Faculty also offers courses at the Clinical Legal Education Center, in which students experience practical legal work, and are able to make a meaningful contribution in motivating policy changes on various social, economic and environmental issues (such as the rights of persons with disabilities, rights in criminal law proceedings, legal representation of children and youth at risk, and more). More than any other institution in Israel, the faculty offers participation in moot court competitions in Israel and abroad, such as the the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.
In the Faculty you will also find a variety of important academic centers and research institutes: the Institute of Criminology, the Sacher Institute for Legislative Research and Comparative Law, the Mishael Cheshin Center for Advanced Legal Studies, the Aharon Barak Center for Interdisciplinary Legal Research, the Federman Cyber Security Center, the Minerva Center for Human Rights, the Matz Institute for Jewish Law, the Center for the Study of Multiculturalism and Diversity, and the new Aumann-Fisher Center for Law, Economics and Public Policy. A new teaching and research program on children's and youth rights will soon be launched at the faculty.
The Faculty sees itself first and foremost as an Israeli academic institution, nevertheless a very important aspect of the research and training of our students is internationality. The Faculty is visited every year by dozens of researchers from abroad, in a variety of fields, as part of academic conferences and teaching programs. We encourage our students to study abroad, as part of nearly 30 exchange programs with leading law faculties around the world. Dozens of exchange and research students also arrive at our Faculty from abroad each year. The Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem jointly operates the Center for Transnational Legal Studies (CTLS) - an academic branch in London, where we conduct teaching and research activities in collaboration with other leading faculties from all continents (such as Georgetown, Kings College London, Melbourne Law School, National University of Singapore, University of Toronto and more).
The Faculty is also dedicated to strengthening ties with its professional and geographical surroundings. It maintains strong professional relations with leading law firms in Israel and provides its graduates with support for placement in these firms as well as within the public sector, and further for their legal internship. The conferences and seminars held at the Faculty are open to the general public and bring together prominent academic scholars and noted figures of the practical realm. With a commitment to excellence, an ongoing and central goal of the Faculty is to support diversity among its students, embracing all strata of Israel’s society.
The Faculty of Law is a top-tier academic unit, a vibrant community engaged in activities that challenge both thought and action. It is an academic and professional leading, inclusive home, which does not rest on its laurels. Thanks to excellent academic staff, a dedicated and high-quality administrative personnel, socially responsible and outstanding students, and a tradition of academic excellence, the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University is the leading institution for legal studies and research in Israel.
Prof. Tomer Broude
Dean | Faculty of Law, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem