Go Forward

TAKAKURA, shigeo

The Law School of Meiji University nurtures specialized legal professionals meet the needs of our society in the 21st century.

Our 21st century society, corresponding to internationalization and globalization, must undergo a major change into a relief-oriented and post-monitoring society based on the principles of transparent rules and self-responsibility. The foundation of this change is to enhance and strengthen the functions of juridical systems, thus requiring human resources rich in both quality and quantity. Founding law schools, graduate schools specializing in nurturing juridical professionals, are at the core of the reform of the juridical system. To play its part in this national mission, The Law School of Meiji University was founded in 2004 to nurture juridical professionals of our 21st century society.

Meiji University originated in The Meiji Law School, founded in 1881( the 14th year of Meiji Era) to uphold “freedom and civil rights” by Tatsuo Kishimoto, Kozo Miyagi who had studied law in France, as well as Misao Yashiro. The founding spirits of the school, “freedom and civil rights” are essential in 21st century society, and at the Law school we also emphasize the importance of these principals as we nurture the legal professionals of the feature. Throughout the tradition and past record of the university, which stretches back over 120 years, we have turned out innumerable legal professionals, with many female graduates including the first female legal professionals in Japan, contributing greatly to their full participation in society.

The Law School inherits long tradition and past record, and aims to nurture the legal professionals who value individuals and respect human rights and the modern interpretation of the founding spirit. Our educational principals are to nurture legal professionals active socially and internationally in humanity, who have high ethical standards and creative and flexible thinking strategies, who have broad perspectives and professional skills, who have practical problem solving abilities, who have a critical mindset and seek out social order, and who will contribute to the formation of a gender-equal society.

Although the core of the curriculum deals with the subject of positive laws, the School offers several basic subjects such as Philosophy of Law, History of Law, Sociology of Law and Comparative Law, and also adjacent subjects such as Politics, Economics, Legislation and Public Policy, to encourage the assumption of legal thinking abilities with broad perspective and insight.

Furthermore, the School offers several practical subjects such as Mock Trials, Legal Ethics, Law Document Composition, Fact and Testimony, Externship and Lawyering. With the support of the Meiji Lawyers Association, students are trained in practical law service. Also, in this 21st century society, lawyers must be experts in one legal area, and our school offers five areas in which to specialize; Corporate Legal, Intellectual Property, Environment and Law, Medical Science and Life Ethics and Law and Gender and Law. The school has arranged front line researchers and faculty practitioners in these five areas.

As for educational methodology, researchers and faculty practitioners collaborate as a team in teaching classes, and instruction is often bi-directional in the classroom, thus allowing students to develop their logical thinking, debate and writing skills.

The harsh law school environment not withstanding, Meiji Law School has put forward several excellent graduates and has had 303 successful examinees at the new bar exams in the past four years. Meiji Law School underwent its first assessment in 2008 and was authenticated by The National Institution for Academic Degrees, the university accreditation body.

We are willing to provide the utmost assistance to those wishing to be lawyers in a responsible 21st century society in Kanda-Surugadai, Tokyo. To make a big leap, come join us!

TAKAKURA, Shigeo