Bassem el Jisr was born in Beirut, in 1930. He holds a Ph.D. in Law from Paris-2 University and has been a member of the Beirut Bar Association since 1954. From the year 1962 until 1964 (the last 2 years of President Fouad Chehab's Mandte), he was the director of the National News Agency, and worked closely with President Chehab.