A Judge and a Family Law Professor from Abroad Join Us as Visiting Scholars

This fall semester, the Brooklyn Law School community welcomes two visiting scholars: Hon. Zohar Dolev Lehmann, Judge of the Southern District Courts of Peace in Israel, a first-instance trial court; and Professor Frederik Swennen, who joins us from the Faculty of Law of the University of Antwerp in Belgium.  

Swennen, who brings national and international expertise in family law, will be visiting from Sept. 23 through Dec. 22. Lehmann, whose scholarship focuses on evidence and contract drafting, will join us from Sept. 30 through Oct. 28. 

Director of International Programs and Adjunct Professor of Law Diane Penneys Edelman, who develops and administers a variety of international programs, including the LL.M. and Visiting Scholar programs, said that these scholars will play an important role at Brooklyn Law.  

“I am thrilled to have visiting scholars come to Brooklyn Law School for so many reasons,” Edelman said. “They bring not only their unique knowledge of their areas of research and work, but also share with us the perspectives of their legal systems, from which we can learn so much. Along with our international LL.M. and J.D. students, as well as the study abroad opportunities that we offer, these scholars help the entire BLS community to expand its horizons.” 

Swennen served as dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Antwerp from 2018 to 2024 and is also a full professor of family law at the university, where he has taught since 2002. His research focuses on new models for the legal recognition of non-traditional family constellations, including queer family and nomadic, plural, and platonic family relationships. 

A magna cum laude recipient of LL.B. and LL.M. degrees, the professor earned a Ph.D. in law from the University of Antwerp, where he has taught a broad array of family law subjects, with a focus on international and comparative legal research, and interdisciplinary study relating to sociology and animal law.  He has also served as a visiting professor at KU Leuven in Belgium and Panthéon-Assas University in Paris (Paris II), and as a research fellow at the University of Cape Town and North-West University (Potchefstroom) in South Africa, the Birkbeck Institute for Social Research in London, and the Netherlands Institute for Advance Studies in Amsterdam. Swennen also currently serves as president of the International Society of Family Law.  

Lehmann earned her LL.B. degree at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and her LL.M. (Hons.) at Tel Aviv University. She also completed significant training in representing victims of sexual assault as well as in small claims mediation. Prior to becoming a judge, she worked at the Southern District Attorney’s Office (Be’er Sheva) in Israel, and served for 15 years as a prosecutor with the Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office. In addition to presiding over the Southern District Courts of Peace,  Lehmann serves as Judge and Chairperson of Parole Boards. While at Brooklyn Law, she will be exploring the areas of evidence and contract drafting.