The essence of university education lies in the pursuit of truth. At the School of Law, our goal is to cultivate logical and analytical thinking—what is often referred to as “legal mind.”
Students are expected to identify research themes independently from among the diverse and complex social issues around them, to make full use of every possible resource in conducting thorough investigations and analyses, and to discover and develop appropriate solutions independently. This process is underpinned by a spirit of intellectual curiosity and the drive to carve out new paths through exposure to a broad and profound body of wisdom, both domestic and international.
The predecessor of the School of Law, the Meiji Law School, was founded in 1881 by three young legal scholars who were inspired by the ideals of modern law born from the French Revolution. Their founding mission was to foster citizens equipped with legal knowledge who could help establish a society that protects individual rights and promotes freedom by firmly rooting Western modern legal principles in Japan. This founding spirit—“Rights and Freedom” and “Independence and Self-Governance”—continues to shape our educational philosophy.
Over the course of more than 140 years, the School of Law has produced a great number of capable citizens, legal professionals, and scholars who embody this spirit. Moreover, it was the first institution in Japan to provide women with access to legal education and has played a leading role in advancing legal scholarship nationwide. Today, Meiji University is recognized as one of Japan’s leading centers for legal education and research, home to both the Graduate School of Law, which aims to foster legal scholars, and the Law School (Professional Graduate School of Law), dedicated to the training of legal practitioners.
At the School of Law, undergraduate level, the School of Law offers legal education founded on a broad liberal arts curriculum. To support students in pursuing their desired career paths, we have established five specialized course tracks, each carefully structured with subjects designed to meet their specific needs. In addition, we have a long-standing tradition of providing small-group seminar-style classes that are essential for advanced legal learning.
Meiji University School of Law, with a strong awareness of its tradition of serving as a place for legal education and research grounded in the university’s founding spirit, encourages each individual to engage in legal studies with intellectual curiosity and dedication. This, indeed, represents the very discovery of one’s own inner dynamism.
NAGASAKA, Jun