Salim Jean Jreissati was born in Zahle on April 4, 1952. He completed his secondary education at the Modern Lebanese Foundation (Father Michel Khalifa) al-Fanar. He studied law at Saint Joseph University in Beirut, where he graduated with degrees on both French and Lebanese law. He also received a graduate degree in personal rights from the College of Law and Political Science at Saint Joseph University in Beirut.
Since 1976, he has been a lecturer at the College of Law and Political Science at Saint Joseph University. From 1979 to 1984, he was a lecturer at the Center for Banking Studies, which is affiliated with the Association of Banks in Lebanon and Saint Joseph University, in the subjects of commercial support, banking operations, and civil law. From 1982 to 1984, he was a lecturer at the American University of Beirut in international business law. From 1982 to 1985, he was also a lecturer at the translation institute in Beirut (Saint Joseph University) in comparative criminal codes.
He has been a member of the Beirut Bar Association since 1974. From early February 2010 to the end of March 2013, he was also a member of a Parliamentary body to update Lebanon’s laws. Since April 29, 2010, he has been a member of the Beirut Bar Association’s Legislative Committee. He is also a founding member of the Lebanese Arbitrators Association. From 1981 to 1997, he served as board member of the Center for Insurance Studies of the Association of Insurance Companies in Lebanon and Saint Joseph University.
He was appointed a member of the Constitutional Council on August 25, 1997, a position he held until June 25, 2009.
He was appointed as Minister of Labour in February 2012, succeeding Minister Charbel Nahas, in then President Najib Mikati’s cabinet. In December 2016 he was appointed as Minister of Justice in Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s cabinet.
He is the author of numerous constitutional, legal, political, economic, and financial studies, lectures, and papers, in Arabic and French.
He was awarded the National Order of the Cedar with a rank of Commander, and a golden Order of Merit.
He is married to Ms Nada al-Husseini, and they have four children: Jean-Yves, Julien, Jennifer, and Mary.