Reuven Rivlin was born in Jerusalem in 1939.
A lawyer by profession, he holds an L.L.B. degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Rivlin served as Legal Adviser, Chairman and team manager of the Betar Jerusalem Sports Association. He was a member of the Jerusalem Municipal Council (since 1978) and a member of the El Al Executive Council (1981-1986). He is a former member of the Board of Trustees fo the Khan Theater and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. He served as Chairman, of the Likud Organization (1988-1993) and as Chairman of the Jerusalem Branch of the Herut Movement (from 1986).
Reuven Rivlin has been a Knesset Member since 1988, serving on the following Knesset committees: Knesset Committee; Foreign Affairs and Defense; Constitution, Law and Justice; State Control; Anti-Drug Abuse; Education and Culture; Advancement of the Status of Women. He also was a member of the Committee for Appointing Judges; the Committee for the Examination of the Maccabia Bridge Disaster; the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee on the Continuing Financial Crisis of the Local Governments; and the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee on Violence in Sports.
Reuven Rivlin served as Minister of Communications from March 2001 until February 2003. He served as Speaker of the 16th Knesset from February 2003 until March 2006.
He is married, with four children.