AVI-YITZHAK, DAN

AVI-YITZHAK, DAN (1936– ), Israeli attorney. Born in Jerusalem, Avi-Yitzhak graduated magna cum laude from the Hebrew University law faculty in 1957. He was admitted to the Israeli bar in 1959 and was a lecturer at the law faculty of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and its Tel Aviv branch in 1957–70 in family law, estates, and principles of jurisprudence. From 1965 to 1975 he held key positions in the Israeli Bar Association. In 1975–78 he was a member of the Judges Appointment Committee. For 45 years, Avi-Yitzhak engaged in active private law practice, appearing in a series of lengthy and complex criminal and civil cases. Several (civil) cases led to important legal principles in Israel law, such as Knesset Member Pinḥasi v. Knesset, in which the Supreme Court adopted new criteria for review of Knesset decisions and in regard to substantive immunity of Knesset members. Criminal defendants whom he represented in high-profile public interest cases include the "Jewish underground," Interior Minister aryeh deri , and Maariv newspaper publisher Ofer nimrodi . He provided legal opinions of public interest and frequent legal commentary and declined several requests by the Israeli government to serve as attorney general. (Leon Fine (2nd ed.)