Nili Cohen

Nili Cohen was born in 1947 in Kfar Saba

Nili Cohen was born in Kfar Saba in 1947 as Nili Grabelsky. She grew up in Tel Aviv, where her father was a teacher, and attended Ironi Dalet High School. Her grandmother, Batsheva Grabelsky, founded the children's publication Eden in the United States.

After her army service she studied law in the first class at Tel Aviv University. She earned her bachelor's degree in 1971, her master's in 1975 and her doctorate in 1978. As a student she was the first editor of the university's law review.

She joined the Tel Aviv law faculty in 1978 and became a full professor in 1989. She was vice-rector from 1994 to 1997 and rector from 1997 to 2001. With Daniel Friedman she wrote the multi-volume book series Contracts.

In 2003 she was a candidate for the Supreme Court but was not appointed. She joined the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities in 2004 and was its president from 2015 to 2021. She received the Israel Prize in 2017.

She is a widow of lawyer Amiram Cohen, and they have three children.