摘要：I recently had an opportunity to deliver a lecture before the Japanese-American Society for Legal Studies comparing Japan’s legal education to that of Harvard Law School (“HLS”).3 My initial concept of the lecture was little more than a critique of the legal education offered at Japanese universities. In preparing, however, I realized that though the legal education offered in the departments of law at Japanese universities (hougaku-bu) constitutes the core of Japan’s process of legal trainingand education, any scrutiny of those education programs ultimately requires examination of the entire system. I concluded that Japan is not equipped with an adequate institution for providing a professional education to aspiring legal practitioners. This paper outlines the process and results of my analysis. I will begin by examining various aspects of the HLS program and then make an analogous examination of the departments of law at Japanese universities in Part II.4 Next, in light of the HLS program, I will identify and explore problems in Japan’s legal education system in Parts III and IV. Finally, I will propose a new model for legal training and education in Japan in Part V.
