Elika Josephina Ussoskin (later Barak) was born in Bucharest, Kingdom of Romania on 13 October 1936.

Her father served as director of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee in the Balkans and was later director-general of Keren Hayesod — United Israel Appeal.

[2][3] She married Aharon Barak, whom she had met while both were attending Beit Ha-kerem High School, in September 1957.

[3][8] Barak-Ussoskin came to the National Labor Court at a time when workers' rights and the bargaining power of unions were weakening.

Barak-Ussoskin ruled in the plaintiff's favor, disallowing the publisher's right to dictate to his employees.

[8][9][10] Afterward Barak-Ussoskin wrote an extensive analysis about the decision, "Whose Newspaper Is It: Journalist-Publisher Relations – Judgment in the Case of Joanna Yehiel vs.

The Palestine Post Ltd.", published in November 1993 issue of Qesher, a publication of the journalism studies program at Tel Aviv University.

[8][13] Israel Minister of Justice David Libai stated to a reporter that the latter appointment had been based solely on merit rather than "family favoritism".

[8][15] With the announcement of her retirement, eleven cases on which she had prepared a draft ruling were sent to other judges for completion.