Introduction

I. The Law School Standards (hereinafter referred to as the “Standards”) are established by the Japan University Accreditation Association (hereinafter referred to as the “JUAA”) as Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Organization for conducting certified evaluation and accreditation of law schools.

The Law schools subject to these Standards are graduate schools that meet the following requirements.

(i) The law school has a basic mission of fostering legal professionals who have specialized legal knowledge, the knowledge and skills required for a future career in the legal field and the ability to argue based on legal reasoning, analysis, and logic, as well as a broader education, a rich humanity, and high professional ethics.

(ii) The degree to be awarded shall be is Juris Doctor degree.

II. As a guideline for the university to maintain and improve an appropriate standard of education and research, the JUAA has set and revised various criteria including the “University Standards” which represent the criteria used in the university evaluation
conducted by the JUAA.
The Law School Standards are one of the JUAA’s various standards which have their foundation in the“University Standards.”

III. These Standards consist of the following four major items.

1. Mission and Purpose
2. Educational Programs and Learning Outcomes / Students
3. Faculty and Faculty Organization
4. Law School Management and Improvement

IV. Each major item of these standards is composed of the “text”,“basic requirements,” and ”perspectives of evaluation” indicated for each item. The “text” defines the general aim of the item and describes the elements required to fulfill the basic mission imposed on all law schools, and also to realize the inherent purpose of individual law school.

The “Basic Requirements” and the “Perspectives of Evaluation” indicate the points for law schools to consider in performing self-study and for JUAA in conducting law school evaluations, based on the purpose of the main “text”. More specifically, the “Basic Requirements” cover the legal and other essential requirements that must be reviewed for compliance as a prerequisite to evaluation. (Details of the scope of the basic requirements are outlined separately.) The “Basic Requirements” and the “Perspectives of Evaluation” should be interpreted and applied in the context of the text’s aim, with special attention given to the correlation between the two.

V. Points identified based on an evaluation of the requirements specified in the text and the perspectives of evaluation that commendations, distinctive features, or suggestions for improvement will be noted with the following remarks and conditions.