Former Cardozo Professor Alex Stein Appointed to Israeli Supreme Court

On February 22, Former Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Professor Alex Stein was appointed to serve as judge the Supreme Court of Israel.

Stein began his academic career in the United States in 2004 at Yeshiva University’s Cardozo School of Law as a professor in Torts, Evidence, Medical Malpractice, and Constitutional Criminal Evidence. Stein then joined Brooklyn Law School in 2016, where he was acclaimed as one of the most highly-cited scholars in the field of evidence and noted for his unique style combining law with economic theories and moral philosophy.

"I am thrilled and humbled…I very much look forward to serving the people of Israel and its legal system," Stein affirmed of the appointment in an interview with Brooklyn Law School.

Stein was born and raised in the former Soviet Union until he immigrated with his parents to Israel, where he served in the military then went on to earn a Bachelor of Law in 1983 and Master of Laws in 1987 from Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Stein continued his education at the University of London, earning a Ph.D with a dissertation titled: The Law of Evidence and the Problem of Risk-Distribution.

Stein’s nomination, along with Ofer Groskopf’s, is considered a win for Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked of the right-wing Jewish Home party, who noted regarding the nomination of the two Justices, “They are part of a process of returning the court to its basic function: interpreting the norms that parliament decides, not replacing it,” according to The Times of Israel.

Although Israeli Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut was said to have challenged Shaked’s choices, she affirmed the Supreme Court’s decision when she told Yedioth Ahronoth that Stein and Grosskopf are “two excellent Supreme Court justices with top-notch and impressive reputations. I have no doubt both will make a significant contribution to the Supreme Court and enrich its rulings with their knowledge."