More than half of our faculty has taught in Japan, many as part of our faculty exchange with the University of Tokyo. Our library has acquired an outstanding collection of books, serials, and computer databases on Japanese law, while our student body includes Japanese graduate students from government, academia, private law firms, and companies, as well as many U.S. law students who are fluent in Japanese or have spent substantial time in Japan.
Our Japanese alumni continue to play an important role in the intellectual and institutional life of the Law School.
Interdisciplinary Studies
Students may pursue concurrent work in the graduate program in Japanese Studies and the Law School, leading to both the MA and the JD degrees. This joint program recognizes the growing need for specialists who combine training in law with substantive knowledge of Japan.
The University’s Center for Japanese Studies, established in 1947, coordinates nearly 100 courses in various disciplines relating to Japan, including business, economics, language, anthropology, political science, and sociology.
Second- and third-year students may, with the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Programming. through the Registrar, elect up to 12 hours of credit in courses that are acceptable for graduate credit in other departments within the University.
Approval is normally granted upon a determination that the course is relevant to or will contribute to the education of a lawyer.
Faculty Exchange Program
For nearly two decades, the Law School has formally maintained a faculty exchange relationship with the University of Tokyo Faculty of Law.
This program is a unique opportunity for students to meet experts on many fields of Japanese law, as well as to discuss comparative issues with regular Law School faculty who have taught in Japan (nearly half of the faculty have done so, and many have published scholarship in Japanese).