Japan’s Ministry of Justice has moved to streamline the registration process for overseas-qualified lawyers to work in Japan, introducing changes covering document submission and re-application.
The changes, which came into effect on 31 July, came three months after the Law Society of England and Wales led by president Nick Emmerson met with the Japanese justice ministry in April this year when it suggested two recommendations to simplify documentation requirements for foreign lawyer registration.
In a statement, Emmerson said: “These changes to streamline the registration process will help to save time and money for both law firms and foreign lawyers in Japan.”
As of 1 July this year, Japan had 505 registered foreign lawyers or gaikokuho-jimu-bengoshi in Japanese, compared to 45,775 Japan-qualified lawyers, according to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.
Foreign and Japanese law firms will now be allowed to reuse certain employer-related documents to be submitted on their overseas-qualified lawyers’ behalf when registering, provided that the materials are updated. Previously, law firms were required to source and submit these documents each time an overseas-qualified lawyer would register.
For those who previously practised in Japan as a registered foreign lawyer and are re-applying, they will no longer need to obtain letters from former employers for work experience verification. Instead, the submission of a statement showing past registered foreign lawyer approvals and registration will now suffice.
But, according to the Law Society of England and Wales, the Japan Federation of Bar Associations has not yet adopted the changes, rendering them currently applicable only to applications filed with Japan’s Ministry of Justice.
source: https://law.asia/japan-smooths-foreign-lawyer-registration/
