The Law School (a major in legal studies for developing legal profession, hereinafter the “Law School”) is a specialized graduate school created in 2004 according to the goals of the judicial system reform and the legal profession system reform at the beginning of 21st century. In order to activate the spirit of laws and realize a just society based on rule of law and protection of freedom, we commit to cultivating creative legal professionals who will take on leading roles in various areas through higher education that connects theory and practice. In additional to courses on legal theories, we also have a variety of practical courses. Having not only research academic staff, but also a significant number of legal practitioners as academic staff, is an important feature of our program.

The four specialized practitioner professors and the six special law school professors who take charge of the classes at the Law School all belong to the Educational Support Section for Policy and Practice of the Center. The specialized practitioner professors include three former judges and one prosecutor in office, and the six special law school professors include three judges in office and three lawyers. Moreover, one fellow lawyer and six visiting professors, also belonging to the same Section, teach legal practices at the Law School.

The legal practitioner professors are in charge of courses in a wide range of frontier legal practices including adjudication, prosecution, and litigations by using their profound knowledge and abundant practical experience. In addition to the in-class interactions and the communications between the students and the practitioners, the program realizes development of creative future legal professionals by enabling the experienced practitioner professors to share their experience and thoughts directly and openly and to provide real-life career advices to students. Many graduates expressed that they have been greatly benefited through the program. As such, the practitioner law professors are indispensable to the education of the Law School, which produces the top-notched legal professionals and scholars in Japan.

Further, CISLP appoint two lawyers who are the graduates of the Law School as collaborative researcher of the Center.

Also, research professors at the Center of the Interdisciplinary and International Collaborative Research Section take charge of the various specialized courses at the Law School.

As for the Law School, since the Director of the Law School is also a member of the steering committee of the Center, a strong tie of collaboration between the Center and the Law School can be expected. In future, along with the consolidation of the activities of the Center, collaborations with the Law School in both education and research shall be formed and strengthened.

Education at the Law and Policy Collaborative Research Center and the Graduate School of Government

The Graduate School of Government is a specialized professional graduate school established in 2006 through the cooperation of the Graduate School of Law and the Graduate School of Economics. From its establishment, the School has strong commitment to cultivate highly specialized professions by bridging the gap between theory and practice. As such, it particularly focuses on the education of academic staff not only as researchers but also as practitioners.

Two practitioner professors teaching at the Graduate School of Government are also affiliated with the Law and Policy Collaborative Research Center. They have received great reviews from students as they teach from the perspectives and experience as legal practitioners.

Also, research professors at the Center of the Interdisciplinary and International Collaborative Research Section take charge of the various specialized courses at the Graduate School of Government.

It is also important to have constant input of the collaborative researchers from the Japan Intercultural Academy of Municipalities (JIAM) at the Center. The JIAM is closely linked with the Graduate School of Government from the very beginning, not only are there many JIAM practitioner professors who are also teachers as special professors at the Graduate School, JIAM and the Graduate School also organize collaborative seminars every year. By having JIAM professors as collaborative researchers of the Center, the Center serves as a hub for education and research on the practice of local governing.

The Director of the Graduate School of Government (or some Professor of the School) is member of the steering committee of the Center, thereby a deep collaborative tie between the Center and the Graduate School of Government can be expected. In future, along with the consolidation of activities of the Center, the Center will form strong collaborations with the Graduate School of Government in both education and research.

Manager of the Educational Support Section for Policy and Legal Practice

Honda – Manager of the Educational Support Section for Policy and Legal Practice
Toshio Honda (Kyoto University, Law School (Graduate School of Law, Affiliated Law and Policy Collaborative Research Center) Professor, Civil Litigations)

After graduating from Kyoto University’s Faculty of Law in 1982, he completed judicial training and was appointed as an assistant judge in April 1984. He has approximately 36 years of judicial practice experience until his retirement in March 2020. During his career, he worked at courts in Kyoto, Oita, Osaka, Naze, Tokyo, and Kanazawa, served as chief judge of the courts in Takamatsu and Kobe, and finally presided as the judge of the Osaka High Court.

After retiring, he has been working at Kyoto University as a practitioner professor since April 2020. He was in charge of various types trials and judicial administrations as a judge, and his experience in civil litigations is the longest. At Kyoto University, he focuses on educations based on his practical experience, and teaches the core subject “Fundamentals of Civil Litigation Practice” and elective practicum courses such as “Seminar on Civil Trials”.

By teaching these subjects while combining theory with practice, he aims to have law students absorb the basic knowledge such as fact-finding, procedures of civil litigations and fact determination, and guide them to acquire the essential practical skills to solve legal disputes. While solidifying their legal foundations, he tries to provide opportunities for students to think like legal practitioners in dealing with disputes.

His major publications include “Employer Liability” Claim Establishment in Civil Litigations Course 4 Civil Law II (Seirin Shoin 2007), p. 253, “Overview of Civil Execution Cases in the Osaka District Court (Headquarters)” Civil Law Information No. 244 (2007) ) p. 18, “Current Situation and Issues in Mediation at Osaka District Court regarding Construction Cases” Hanrei Times No. 1381 (2012) p. 62, “Legal Issue 9 Guaranty” Amendment of the Law on Obligations and Family Court Practice (Nippon Kajo Publishing 2019) p. 143, and “Basic Issues Regarding Civil Mediation Procedures” Settlement and Mediation Methods and Practices (Civil Law Research Group 2019), 29 pages.