Columbia Law School’s Center for Israeli Legal Studies hosts visiting Israeli faculty and scholars throughout the year. The Center sponsors lectures, seminars, and conferences, creates fellowship opportunities for LL.M. and J.S.D. students, and develops exchange opportunities for Law School students to pursue research or internships in Israel.

The underlying purpose of the Center is to bring Israeli and U.S. legal scholars and practitioners together to explore cutting-edge legal issues the state of Israel has grappled with in recent years, such as: How should personal liberty be balanced against national security in the battle against terrorism? What legal and business conditions are needed to nurture a burgeoning hi-tech sector? What influence, if any, should religion have on the state? Columbia Law School is well positioned to embark on such a landmark venture, in part because of its successful track record of similar regional centers.

The Center for Israeli Legal Studies complements these regional centers, benefiting from the presence of Professor Zohar Goshen, an Israeli who is one of the world’s leading scholars in business law. Goshen has a permanent half-time appointment at the Law School, where he spends every fall semester. Each spring, he teaches at Ono Academic College School of Law in Israel. Goshen also has extensive connections in the Israeli legal academy, the business community, and the elite Israeli bar.  He serves as the Chairman of the Israel Securities Authority [Israel's SEC].