2005 - Law Schools in Japan
The University of Melbourne
Monday 21 February, 2005
The Asian Law Centre at the University of Melbourne will convene a one-day international symposium at the University of Melbourne on 21 February 2005.
The Justice System Reform Council (JSRC) was established by the Law to Establish the Judicial System Reform Council (Law No 68, 1999) to consider the role of the administration of justice in Japan in the 21st century and the judicial reforms and infrastructure needed to realise that role once defined (art 2). The JSRC stated that one of its key objectives was to examine the “human basis” of the Japanese legal system. This involved a re-examination of the number of lawyers in Japan, the regime for training judges and lawyers, including the National Bar Examination, and the role of tertiary institutions in legal education (JSRC, “The Points at Issue in the Judicial Reform”, 21 December 1999.
One of the most controversial outcomes of the JSRC’s review was the concept of graduate Law Schools, which commenced operation on 1 April 2004. This is an exciting and possibly confusing time for legal education in Japan. Will the new Law Schools improve the quality of lawyers and increase access to justice in Japan? What impact will they have on the most important (but least consulted) stakeholders, the students? How will legal scholars cope with the changes? What if nothing changes at all?
This Symposium is a unique opportunity for scholars and lawyers involved in the design, construction and operation of Japan's new Law Schools to reflect on the challenges and successes of the first 12 months. It will also provide a chance for observers from outside the reform process to provide their perceptions of legal education in Japan. In particular, scholars from regional universities, Tokyo-oriented law schools and public and private institutions have been invited to ensure a lively and balanced debate.
The Asian Law Centre has already secured the participation of a number of high-profile academics involved in the development and implementation of the new Law Schools in Japan.
Our focus will be discussion and the exchange of ideas in a number of roundtables and panels. There will also be keynote addresses. The symposium will be an intensive one-day event to be held at the Asian Law Centre, Law School, University of Melbourne, with a semi-formal dinner in the evening.
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