Monday, July 9, 2012

Deadline to Apply for Dinei Yisrael Exams is July 13!

If you are a foreign lawyer and are planning to take the Dinei Yisrael Exams in August 2012, the deadline to send in your application is July 13. The cost is 160 NIS per test which you must pay at the Post Office to account number 4454120 and send the receipt in with your application.

I have some very good outlines available.

Make sure you read the Basic Requirements for Admission to the Israel Bar (revised 2013). In general, a foreign lawyer who wants to practice in Israel has to pass the Hebrew proficiency exam and 6 of the 8 substantive Dinei Yisrael exams before beginning the one-year articled clerkship or stage (from the French word "stagiaire"). However, if you arrive with two years of work experience you can begin your stage upon passing the Hebrew proficiency exam and can take the substantive exams later. But in order to take the actual bar exam you must pass all of the Dinei Yisrael exams first.
If you have five years of work experience, you just need to pass all of the Dinei Yisrael Exams and clerkship but you do not need to take the bar exam.

The Hebrew exam is given 4 times throughout the year (Jan, April, Aug, Oct) and the 8 substantive exams are given in January and August. The Israeli Bar Office is the gatekeeper to register for these exams- you must register at least one month ahead of time. There is an English review class given in Yerushalayim. And what appears to be a course in Hebrew for Israelis who are qualified overseas. The Lishka (Bar Office) also offers a course in Tel Aviv  for new olim (which appears to be in Hebrew). However, it consists of 42 classes, which looks like overkill to me.

But... in order to begin this process you need to have your degree recognized. To do that, on Mondays Thursdays between 9 AM to 1 PM, (as of May 2014) bring your actual physical diploma and an official transcript to the Hebrew U. Mount Scopus campus where the law school is. (If you don't have your diploma they will give you a hard time, and you will need an official letter letter from the law school that you indeed graduated.) You need to pay 420 NIS as well, so bring some money. Go to Room 116A. You can call them Mondays between 9 to 1 at 02-588-0044 or email: degreerec@savion.huji.ac.il. 



After you do that, bring those documents to the Bar Office at 1 Chopin St and open a file. Bring more money.

10 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. On the first issue- a call or email to the Israel Bar Office should get you the answer to that question (although answers are always subject to change when you arrive- TII: This Is Israel :-) so maybe email is better.)
    On the second issue, I think you need some intermediate conversational and written Hebrew. On that exam, unlike the others, you must write your answers in Hebrew. Generally part of the exam consists of writing a basic lease agreement. (They teach you what to write in the cram course.) I think they have a sample exam on the Bar Office website.

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  3. Hi Judah, I plan on taking the Dinei Israel in Jan 2014. Do you still have the outlines you mention? I would like to start getting familiar with the subjects. Thanks!

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  4. I'm from Brazil and I also plan ok taking the Dinei Israel this year.
    Kol hakavod for you website! It helps a lot!
    Please, continue updating the site!
    Is there any Ulpan that prepare us for the Hebrew Profeciency Exam?
    Todah rabah!

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  5. Check out Gvahim for an Ulpan geared toward professionals: https://gvahim.org.il/Default.aspx?KPages=1137

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  6. I am an olah chadasha attorney from the states. I just sent my documents in to the Israeli Bar to open a tik. I didn't get my degree recognized. I have at least five years experience as a lawyer in the states and sent in all those documents requested on the form. I heard that if you have at least five years experience you don't have to take the exams? That sounds kind of too good to be true? Is it? Also, I would like to sign up and take the Hebrew proficiency exam. Do you know how I do that? Nobody answers the telephone number listed for the Jerusalem office that handles these affairs. Do you know where I can get any practice exams or how I could practice for the Hebrew proficiency exam? So many questions. . .

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  7. According to the website, you can get your degree recognized at Hebrew U on Thursday, 9:00-13:00. Phone : 02-5882540
    degreerec@savion.cc.huji.ac.il
    You can register for the April Hebrew exam with this form: http://www.israelbar.org.il/uploadFiles/harshama%20ivritmishpatit.pdf

    Sample exams, including the Hebrew exams:
    http://www.israelbar.org.il/article_inner.asp?pgId=78469&catId=2009

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  8. I am a little confused. 1) It is necessary to take all the dinei Yisroel exams before taking the actual bar exam? 2) I also read on the website that for a licensed lawyer with five years experience (which is me), that those lawyers are exempt from the taking the nine different bar exams but still have to take the Hebrew proficiency exam? That sounds too good to be true?

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  9. Based on this http://www.israelbar.org.il/uploadFiles/_72812330UUJ.pdf, a foreign lawyer with 5 years of experience must take the Dinei Yisrael exams and do a stage but is exempt from the actual bar exam.

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    1. Thanks. According to the pdf referenced above referring to those foreign attorneys that have at least five years of experience:
      "b) Candidates qualifying as per section 1(ii) above are only required to pass a Hebrew examination before beginning articles. The law examination can be taken during the articles or after."
      My questions would then be:
      1) Do you know what Hebrew examination is being referred to here and where can I find copies of it to study for?
      2) When it says the law examination can be taken during or after beginning articles, is that the nine part exam? Does that mean that the exam is given at one time? Because it says each exam is three hours? How does that work out? Sorry for all the questions. I finally did get the number to the Israeli Bar Association is 1-599-500-606, not the number listed on the website which is a fax number. I will call them tomorrow and let you know what they say if you would like for your blog, so that it is clear for attorneys from abroad in the same boat as I am.

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