I set this blog up in May, right before I left for Israel with every intention of posting regular updates on my adventures. Now I have a week left before returning to the United States, and this is my first post. I know, it’s awful but, between my internship and traveling, I’ve been so busy this summer. Here are some highlights for whomever is interested:

My internship:

I have been working for the past three months at the Supreme Court of Israel in Jerusalem as a foreign law clerk to President Dorit Beinisch. Israel, as a much newer and smaller country than the United States, has a more limited breadth of precedential caselaw to draw upon. Therefore, the Court often looks to foreign law when novel issues arise. Basically, I am responsible for researching the American approach to pending opinions. In addition to me, President Beinisch’s chambers consist of a British barrister who researches Commonwealth law, a German attorney who researches European law, two Israeli interns completing their year of mandatory post-law school apprenticeship, and three Israeli legal assistants who are permanent employees of the Court. My work has been extremely interesting and has spanned a variety of topics including administrative law, criminal law, constitutional law, family law, civil procedure, and anti-trust law. Working in a country’s highest court of law, especially in such a politically volatile area, has given me the opportunity to observe hearings of many controversial cases. Even though I can’t understand what’s going on (the hearings are in Hebrew), it’s really interesting to observe how the Israeli justice system works.

My travels:

During the little time I have off, I’ve tried to squeeze in as much traveling as possible. I’ve spent several days in Tel Aviv (a van from Jerusalem costs only five dollars!) enjoying the beach, restaurants, and amazing crafts market. I spent one weekend camping with a group of Israelis on the shore of Lake Kinneret (aka the Sea of Gailee), swimming during the day and cooking kebabs over an open fire at night. Early in the summer, I traveled to Caesarea to see Yehuda Poliker, a famous Israeli singer, perform in a Roman amphitheater under the stars. It was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. A few weeks ago, my boyfriend, Paul came to visit, and we spent ten days exploring the country. We started in Tel Aviv, then stayed in a moshav up north near the Lebanese border, went on a wine tour in the Golan Heights, drove through the Negev desert to Eilat, and spent a day in Jordan hiking through the ancient city of Petra.

As soon as I can figure out how to do it, I will post pictures of my Middle Eastern adventures.  I hope everyone else is enjoying what’s left of their summer.