Japan Summer Program Offers MSU Students New View of the Law

By Chuck Carlson

June 13, 2023

Professor Frank Ravitch (far right) with one of his classes recently at the MSU College of Law Kyoto Japan Program at Doshisha University.

There has always been something that has drawn Professor Frank Ravitch to Japan.

It began in 2001 when, as a Fulbright Scholar, he taught at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan and then in 2009 when he returned to give an academic talk. The country, and especially the city of Kyoto with its rich history and culture, left an indelible impression on him.

So, the idea dawned on him to create a summer program for Michigan State College of Law students as well as students from other quality U.S. law schools, and base it at Doshisha University Law School.

The MSU College of Law Kyoto Japan Summer Program began in 2010 and has been going strong ever since. The program starts each year in mid-May and just concluded its most recent session last week.

“I developed the program with colleagues at Doshisha in 2009 and 2010 and it is continually updated,” said Ravitch, Professor of Law and Walter H. Stowers Chair in Law & Religion and director of the Kyoto program. “The goal is to give MSU law students exceptional education on Japanese and international law in an environment where they can experience one of the greatest cities in the world. The idea was to build a program that is not just about classes, but also hearing from leaders in the Japanese legal community, visiting legal sites such as Kyoto Prison, and giving students an amazing cultural experience in one of the most ancient, yet modern, cities in the world.”

The program is open mostly to students finishing their first or second year at MSU College of Law and they can apply to the program through the MSU Education Abroad portal called via-TRM.

As for the cost, study abroad scholarships are available through the MSU Office of Study Abroad and financial aid can be used for all program costs, Ravitch said. The program is also able to get highly discounted housing in Kyoto.

Ravitch directed the program this summer, and along with Jay Klaphake, chair of the Department of Global Studies at the Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, and Koji Takahashi, International Business Arbitration and Litigation professor at Doshisha University’s Law School, taught the courses in the program. Two of the four courses in the program are focused on Japanese law and the other two are more broadly focused, but include at least one day about Japanese law on the course topic.

“The Japanese legal system is heavily based on civil law like the systems in Germany and France,” he said. “Japanese civil law has some interesting, unique rules. Japanese law also has elements similar to U.S. law, especially in the constitutional law field. This allows students to have some grounding from U.S. law while allowing them to study a civil law system. Most legal systems around the world are civil law systems and common law systems like the US and UK are actually relatively uncommon outside of anglicized countries. Therefore, exposure to civil law systems is important in an increasingly globalized legal landscape.”

All classes are in English though Ravitch speaks Japanese, and the program hires one Japanese law student or graduate student who speaks English for every five or six students in the program. These Japanese students help students with any language issues they may have.

As well, a student pipeline has developed where a dual agreement with Doshisha allows Japanese students to earn a JD in Japan and at MSU in five years.

For Ravitch, who has taught at MSU for 21 years, the Kyoto program has been rewarding and challenging and a vital tool in helping law students learn the intricacies of the legal profession. But it has done more than that.

“I want to make sure the students get the best experience possible,” he said. “It’s enriching for me to see the splendor of Kyoto and Japan through my students’ eyes. I have been here more than 50 times and speak the language, so getting to see students experience the amazing sites, community, food, modern amenities, art, and legal community in Kyoto is amazing.”