According to a report by Globes, the Ministry of Justice, led by Minister Yariv Levin, intends to publish new draft regulations for public comment concerning the most recent Israel Bar Association certification exam held in June. The proposed regulations seek to reduce the passing grade from 60 to 55 points. This move carries significant implications for dozens of interns and law graduates who participated in the exam but did not meet the previous threshold.
The initiative follows concerning data from the latest exam, which shows that only about 42% of examinees passed. This rate reflects significant difficulties among candidates and has sparked a broad debate regarding the exam's complexity and its impact on the entry of young legal professionals into the Israeli job market. If the regulations are approved following the public comment period, dozens of additional candidates who narrowly missed the passing mark in the June exam will be able to receive their certification and join the ranks of lawyers in Israel.
This process is considered exceptional in the landscape of certification exams, as it applies retroactively to a session that has already taken place, aiming to address what is perceived as an exceptionally low success rate. Publishing the regulations for public comment is a mandatory statutory stage before they take effect, allowing professional stakeholders to express their views. For future lawyers waiting for their certification results, this change has a direct impact on their professional careers, as passing the exam is the final and primary condition for obtaining a license to practice law in Israel.