Paper short abstract:

This paper considers the Japanese Law Schools based on the result of questionnaire and surveys to current Law School students. In reference to the evaluation of students, this paper discusses the challenges the current system is facing and ways to reform and improve its functioning.

Paper long abstract:

The Japanese Law School system was proposed and set up in the framework of a judicial reform aimed to foster a legal profession rich in both quality and quantity. According to the recommendations of the Justice System Reform Council of 2001, Law Schools were expected to provide thorough education so that a significant ratio of the students who would have completed the course (e.g., 70 to 80% of such students) could pass the to-be-established new national bar examination. With due attention to the complex process of implementing the new legal training system (which pivoted around the Law Schools), the aim was first to increase the number of successful candidates for the existing national bar examination, to eventually reach 3,000 successful candidates per year around 2010 in the new national bar examination.

However, due to some miscalculations (including the establishment of many law schools - 74 at the outset), the reform resulted in an insufficient increase of the passing rate at the bar examination. Moreover, many candidates prefer to skip the Law School, and use an alternative route (a preliminary examination) to enter the Bar. Now young lawyers are under strain, the passing rate of the bar examination is below 30%, and around one third of schools have suspended accepting applications for enrollment. The whole Japanese Law School system is being questioned in its very significance of existence.

This paper follows this course of events and considers the Japanese Law Schools based on the result of questionnaire and surveys to current Law School students. They report merits and demerits of the Law School system. In reference to the evaluation of students, this paper discusses the challenges the current system is facing and ways to reform and improve its functioning.