HaPraklit

HaPraklit (Hebrew: הפרקליט, "The Advocate") is the flagship legal journal of the Israel Bar Association and the oldest continuously published legal periodical in Israel. It was founded in 1943, during the British Mandate, by decision of the convention of the Jewish Lawyers' Association in Palestine, which tasked the president of its central committee, Dr. Mordechai Eliash, and his deputy Moshe Dokhan, with producing a legal organ for the association. The first issue appeared in Tel Aviv that same year, edited by Paltiel Dickstein, later succeeded by Aharon Polonsky. In its early decades HaPraklit served as the only legal journal for Israel's lawyers and judges, and after the Israel Bar Association became a statutory body in 1961 it became the association's central professional journal. The journal publishes practical and scholarly articles across all branches of law and is frequently cited in Israeli court rulings and academic writing. From 2006 the editing of HaPraklit was entrusted to the Haim Striks Faculty of Law at the College of Management Academic Studies, where law students serve as editors and faculty members act as editors-in-chief, following the American law review model. The journal's editors-in-chief have included Prof. Yoram Rabin (from 2006), Prof. Yaniv Vaki (from 2008) and Adv. Alon Rodes (from 2022). HaPraklit also publishes special volumes, including the Jubilee Book (1993) marking 50 years of the journal, a 2009 volume in memory of Adv. Dr. David Wiener on criminal law and ethics, and a two-volume collection in honor of retired Supreme Court Justice Meni Mazuz (2025). Publication was suspended in 2016 by decision of the Bar Association leadership and resumed in 2022. The journal is currently published twice a year, with future volumes announced for 2024 and 2026.

HaPraklit was established in 1943 by decision of the convention of the Jewish Lawyers' Association in Palestine (Histadrut HaOrkhim HaYehudim), which instructed the president of its central committee, Adv. Dr. Mordechai Eliash, and his deputy Moshe Dokhan, to produce a legal journal for the association. The first issue was published in Tel Aviv that year, edited by Paltiel Dickstein; after his term, Aharon Polonsky took over as editor, writing under the pen name "Apollo" in the early issues. In his opening remarks, Eliash wrote of the twenty years of anticipation and the difficult wartime conditions, expressing hope that victory would bring great development in legal, political and social values. In the years before and immediately after the establishment of the State of Israel, HaPraklit served as a fertile forum for academic debate on the future of the Israeli legal system, including the adoption of a new legal method, the use of Hebrew law, the meaning of the Declaration of Independence, and the importance of formalism. In the early years of the state it was the only legal journal serving Israel's lawyers and judges, before the law faculties founded their own journals. In 1961, when the Israel Bar Association became a statutory body following the enactment of the Israel Bar Association Law, HaPraklit became the association's central professional legal journal. During those years, faculty members of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Faculty of Law joined its editorial board. Editors over the generations have included Prof. Paltiel Dikan (Israel Prize laureate in legal science), 1943–1963; Adv. Aharon Polonsky (a founder of Tel Aviv University), 1963–1983; Adv. Arnan Gabrieli, 1986–1996; and Prof. Miguel Deutch, 1996–2006. Editorial board members over the years have included former Supreme Court Presidents Shimon Agranat and Aharon Barak, justices Menachem Elon, Yitzhak Englard, Yaakov Turkel, Gabriel Kling, Zvi Terlo, Menachem Goldberg and Edna Kaplan, State Comptroller Yitzhak Tunik, Attorney General Gideon Hausner, and professors Gad Tedeschi, Paltiel Dikan, Uri Yadin, Yosef Gross, Benjamin Akzin, Zeev Zeltner, Guido (Gualtiero) Procaccia and Miguel Deutch, as well as Adv. Aharon Polonsky and Adv. Yehoshua Rotenstreich. In 2006 the editing of HaPraklit was transferred to the Haim Striks Faculty of Law at the College of Management Academic Studies. Students from the faculty serve as editorial board members and sub-editors, while faculty members serve as editors-in-chief, following the American law review tradition such as the Harvard Law Review. Prof. Yoram Rabin has edited the journal since 2006; Prof. Yaniv Vaki joined as co-editor in 2008; and Adv. Alon Rodes joined the editorial team in 2022. A 2005 study by Prof. Ronen Perry found that HaPraklit ranked fourth in the number of citations in Supreme Court rulings and first in the number of citations in all court rulings across all instances combined. In 2016 the leadership of the Israel Bar Association decided to suspend the journal's activity; it resumed publication in 2022. The journal currently appears twice a year, and future volumes are announced for 2024 and 2026. Special volumes published by HaPraklit include the Jubilee Book (1993), summarizing 50 years of activity (1943–1993) and edited by Prof. Miguel Deutch and Adv. Arnan Gabrieli; the David Wiener Book on Criminal Law and Ethics (2009), a collection of twenty-two articles in four sections in memory of Adv. Dr. David Wiener; and the Meni Mazuz Book (two volumes, 2025), a collection of articles in honor of retired Supreme Court Justice Meni Mazuz.

• 2025

  Meni Mazuz Book published in two volumes.

• 2023

  Volume 56 published (September 2023).

• 2022

  Volume 55(1) published; Adv. Alon Rodes joins the editorial team.

• 2021

  HaPraklit announces it has resumed activity and invites article submissions.

• 2016

  Israel Bar Association leadership decides to suspend the journal's activity.

• 2009

  David Wiener Book on Criminal Law and Ethics published.

• 2008

  Prof. Yaniv Vaki joins as co-editor.

• 2006

  Editing transferred to the Haim Striks Faculty of Law at the College of Management Academic Studies; Prof. Yoram Rabin becomes editor.

• 2005

  Prof. Ronen Perry's study finds HaPraklit ranked first in citations across all court rulings and fourth in Supreme Court rulings.

• 1996

  Prof. Miguel Deutch becomes editor, serving until 2006.

• 1993

  HaPraklit Jubilee Book published, summarizing 50 years of the journal (1943–1993).

• 1986

  Adv. Arnan Gabrieli becomes editor, serving until 1996.

• 1963

  Aharon Polonsky becomes editor, serving until 1983.

• 1961

  Israel Bar Association becomes a statutory body; HaPraklit becomes its central professional legal journal.

• 1943

  First issue of HaPraklit published in Tel Aviv by the Jewish Lawyers' Association in Palestine; Paltiel Dickstein serves as first editor.

Israel's oldest and most-cited legal journal, the professional organ of the Israel Bar Association.

• HaPraklit journal

  Biannual legal journal publishing practical and scholarly articles across all branches of law.

• HaPraklit Jubilee Book (1993)

  Volume summarizing 50 years of the journal (1943–1993), edited by Prof. Miguel Deutch and Adv. Arnan Gabrieli.

• David Wiener Book on Criminal Law and Ethics (2009)

  Collection of twenty-two articles in four sections in memory of Adv. Dr. David Wiener.

• Meni Mazuz Book (2025)

  Two-volume collection of articles in honor of retired Supreme Court Justice Meni Mazuz.

1. 1הפרקליט - עמוד הביתhapraklit.co.il
2. 2HaPraklit — Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3הפרקליט — Wikipedia (Hebrew)he.wikipedia.org