About the Faculty

The Faculty of Law at Bar-Ilan University is at the forefront of legal research in Israel and worldwide. The Faculty has placed excellence and innovation in research and teaching on its banner, together with a deep commitment to Israeli society and law.

In 2020, this excellence has gained expression in five impressive achievements:

• According to the Shanghai Index, which compares the quality of academic institutions and is considered one of the two most prestigious indices in its field in the world, the Faculty of Law was ranked among the top 100 worldwide (for 2020).
• Five Faculty lecturers have received research grants from the Israel Science Foundation.
• In June 2020, 99% of students achieved placements for internships with the leading law firms and the leading legal units in the public sector in Israel.
• In the summer of 2020, 90% of graduates successfully passed the Bar Association examination. The Faculty is ranked second in the country in the percentage of those passing the Bar examination.
• In December 2020 92% of graduates successfully passed the Bar Association examination. The Faculty is ranked second in the country in the percentage of those passing the Bar examination.

In the course of 50 years of its existence, the Faculty kept developing and renewing itself in research, new and innovative curricula, international relations, teaching, the establishment of centers and legal clinics, and more.

Faculty members are at the forefront of research in Israel and worldwide. Their articles are published in leading international journals, and members of the Faculty are frequently invited to lecture and teach at the most prestigious universities. The Faculty and its members have extensive international connections. The Faculty is the only one in Israel that is a member of the ATLAS international venture, which includes nine leading international institutions engaged in cooperation between postgraduate research students. The Faculty has exchange agreements with leading institutions in the United States, Europe, Canada, and China. A global law forum operating consolidates all Faculty activities in the field of international law. Another forum is dedicated to law, technology, and big data. The Faculty also leads the SSRN-HRN (Hebrew Research Network) project, which aims at publishing and distributing articles on the Internet before their official publication.

The cutoff score for admission of undergraduate students to the Faculty is one of the highest in Israel. At the Bar Association examinations, our students are regularly ranked in the first places. The legal education that our students receive combines the highest level of theoretical lessons with practical workshops in collaboration with leading lawyers. Our students and graduates are integrated into the most senior positions in the private market and in public service.

The Faculty has opened unique study programs for both undergraduate and graduate degrees:

1. The faculty offers a series of multidisciplinary programs that allow outstanding students to combine their law studies with studies in other fields of knowledge.
2. A unique interdisciplinary track (the only one in Israel and one of the few in the world) for a master's degree in regulation and environmental policy, which is operated jointly with the Department of Geography and Environment. This degree is offered also to students in the integrated programs. 
3. Fascinating, rich, and extensive exchange programs allow students to attend one semester at one of several leading institutions abroad during their undergraduate studies.
4. Unique master's programs, which allow specialization in specialized tracks and focus on particular areas of legal knowledge, such as commercial law, criminal law, negotiation, and mediation.
5. Master's degree programs in legal studies intended for those who are not lawyers but wish to add legal knowledge to their academic education.
6. A prestigious doctoral program open to outstanding students seeking to focus on research. Doctoral students have access to the universities that participate in the ATLAS program. The Faculty has two specialized postgraduate study programs: one in regulation and public policy, and one in Jewish law, which are also open to outstanding students who do not have a bachelor's degree in law and who meet the  threshold requirements of the program.

The Faculty publishes three journals that give students the opportunity to experience work at a scholarly legal journal: Legal Studies, the main publication of the Faculty; Democratic Culture, a journal focusing on the study of democracy in Israel; and an international journal, Law, Religion, and State. 

The Faculty is deeply committed to Israeli society and law, and works to bridge the gaps between the various parts of Israeli society, striving to create a pluralistic community that respects differences and encourages dialogue and cooperation between people from different strata of society. The Faculty encourages in-depth discussion of controversial issues in Israeli society.

As part of this commitment, the Faculty has established an array of clinics, exceptional in its scope and areas of activity, which provides solutions to both individuals in distress and to fundamental social issues in various areas of activity.

The faculty operates several centers that focus on dilemmas related to the interface between law and society in Israel, including the Rackman Center for the Advancement of Women, which works extensively for the advancement of women's rights, the Center for Jewish and Democratic Law, and the Center for Communication and Law, operated jointly with the School of Communication.