Educational Objectives

Legal interaction between America and Japan (governmental, commercial, and individual) is an important focus for both nations. Moreover, the economic and cultural importance of Japanese-U.S. relations cannot be understated. Japan is a major trading partner with the United States and also a major partner in cultural exchange. Increasingly, the Japanese legal system has looked to the United States as a source, although not the only source, for addressing the legal ramifications of the shift to a more global economy and global cultural perspective. Nowhere is this more clear than in the recent Japanese adoption of a U.S. style law school system. The Summer Program focuses on various aspects of this complex and important relationship, from a constitutional, transactional, comparative, and cultural perspective. Additionally, the Program will offer courses that focus more generally on constitutional and/or comparative law issues, as well as on cultural dynamics that can effect Japanese/U.S. relations. Students will also have the opportunity to visit a Japanese prison, courthouse, and to meet Japanese lawyers and law students.