Last update: October, 2026

Course Schedules

Spring 2027 courses run from January 11 to  April 17. For further information as to courses or scheduling, please contact us.

Note: Note: The above schedule is subject to adjustment. Classes are open enrollment with no prerequisites or class caps.

Course Descriptions

This tentative course schedule is subject to change.

INTRODUCTION TO TECHNOLOGY IN LEGAL PRACTICE (2 CREDITS)

Technology in the legal field is rapidly evolving. Competence in the use of technology is now an essential skill, whether you work in the US, Japan, the EU, or other parts of the world. This course provides the foundation needed to effectively use common technologies in legal practice, including creating and managing secure documents, privacy and security, legal analytics, presentation technology, media literacy, and artificial intelligence. Students will not only learn to understand and evaluate these technologies but also gain hands-on experience using many of them. Additionally, the course will cover how to identify and evaluate the ethical implications of legal technology from various global perspectives, including the US, Japan, and the EU.

INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION (2 CREDITS) 

As an alternative to court proceedings, international arbitration is increasingly becoming one of the most important dispute resolution methods in cross-border transactions. The first part of the course will provide a general overview of the subject. It will introduce the main legal doctrines applicable in arbitration and the applicable legal framework. It will familiarize students with the importance of the arbitration agreement and include practical advice on drafting a workable arbitration clause. The second part of the course will introduce the arbitration procedure: starting with the notice of arbitration, appointment of arbitrators, the arbitral award, its enforcement abroad, and other post-award proceedings. 

CHINESE BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT LAW (2 CREDITS)

This course examines the legal and practical issues facing companies and investors doing business in China today. Students will gain an understanding of China’s legal and regulatory framework for foreign investment while considering the rapidly changing environment of global trade, supply chains, and U.S.-China economic relations. Topics will include foreign investment and market access, import and export controls, trade restrictions and sanctions, tariffs and protectionism, supply-chain risks, critical minerals and rare earths, AI and robotics, technology transfer, and real estate and other investment considerations. The course combines legal analysis with practical guidance for identifying and managing the risks and opportunities of doing business in China. Historical, economic, and political developments—including China’s transition from a centrally planned economy following the 1978 “open-door” policy—will provide context for understanding the current business and investment environment.

LABOR LAW (3 CREDITS)

This course surveys federal law governing the relationship between private sector employers and employees who are acting in concert to improve their working conditions. It is different from other workplace law courses (and other rights-based courses generally) in its unique focus on group rather than individual rights. The key legislation is the National Labor Relations Act, which grants private sector employees the right to join unions and engage in other protected forms of collective action, known in the labor law discourse as “concerted activity.”  We will begin by discussing the protections afforded to employees who participate in concerted activity and the process by which employees may elect union representation if they choose. We will then turn to the rights and obligations attendant to union representation, including the parties’ obligation to bargain in good faith and the tools of economic pressure that workers and management leverage in dispute resolution, such as strikes and picketing. Time permitting, we will cover a selection of topics concerning life under a collective bargaining agreement, such as union security, dues collection, grievance and arbitration, and how the collective bargaining relationship comes to an end.

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY (3 CREDITS)

This core course — also known as the “Law of Lawyering” — focuses on the practical and ethical questions that attorneys constantly face. These range from signing up new clients and evaluating complex conflicts of interest scenarios to unrepresented party interaction and attorney advertising. Utilizing select case law excerpts, the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, American Bar Association Committee on Ethics opinions, the California Rules of Professional Conduct, relevant sections of the California Business and Professions Code, select state and local bar ethics opinions, and topical news articles, the class takes a real-world approach to Professional Responsibility. It will also help prepare students for the MPRE, as Professional Responsibility is tested on Bar Exams throughout the US. The societal role of attorneys in shaping our judicial system is also a focus, particularly issues of racism and wealthism in skewing the scales of justice. This subject is tested on many US bar examinations.

ADVISING MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES ON GLOBAL LEGAL ISSUES (3 CREDITS) 

This interactive and participatory course is intended to provide a survey of the types of issues confronting lawyers, and particularly in-house lawyers, who advise multinational corporations on a worldwide basis. The areas to be discussed include topics that will cover corporate law (including M&As), labor and employment law, employee benefits, litigation, and corporate compliance. Practical examples will be used to illustrate the complicated nature yet importance of this type of practice. Further, in addition to the more substantive legal topics to be covered, the course will also be interspersed with practice tips, jurisdictional practice highlights and ethical considerations for the multinational practitioner.

INTRODUCTION TO JAPANESE LAW (3 CREDITS)

This course introduces students to Japanese law and the major principles of civil law systems. Students will examine the history, structure, and content of the Japanese legal system, the role of domestic and international law in Japan, the Japanese Constitution, and the major areas of Japanese law. To better equip students for transnational work involving Japanese entities, the course will focus on how Japanese laws, regulations, and culture affect corporations, business transactions, and individual rights in Japan. It will also consider the role of Japanese law in promoting transnational investment, current issues in the practice of law in Japan, and several current social issues on which law has an impact. Students with a law degree from a Japanese university may not enroll in this class.

LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITING (3 CREDITS)

This course explores legal research, writing, and advocacy. After being introduced to the US legal system and basic research techniques (including online databases such as Westlaw and LexisNexis), students work on assigned problems to develop their writing and analytical skills. The program aims to develop basic legal research and writing skills in a hands-on seminar-style atmosphere. This course is required of all FLLM (US Law) students.

INTERNATIONAL CONTRACT DRAFTING (3 CREDITS) 

This course bridges the gap between contract theory and contract practice and offers practical insights into international contracts such as licenses, distributorships, and joint ventures. Students will focus principally on developing skills in drafting these types of contracts and undertake ancillary preparation exercises. This course satisfies the skills/experiential graduation requirement for JD students.

EAST-WEST NEGOTIATIONS (3 CREDITS) 

This for credit only (S/U) course introduces students to the practical, legal, and cultural issues encountered when drafting and negotiating international agreements in the Asian context. The course particularly emphasizes negotiations involving multinational parties through the examination of actual international commercial transactions. Students have an opportunity to participate in the preparation of mock agreements and negotiations. This course satisfies the skills/experiential graduation requirement for JD students.

INTERNATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT LAW (3 CREDITS) 

This course examines selected legal issues affecting individuals and businesses in the international entertainment industry. Topics will include contract law, copyright, patents and other intellectual property rights, privacy and publicity rights, labor and employment law, and related regulatory issues. These topics will be explored in the context of the development, production, distribution, and commercialization of international entertainment projects, with attention to the legal and business challenges of working across jurisdictions.

PROPERTY (3 CREDITS)

This course explores the basic relationships in forms of real and personal property ownership and considers the devices for transferring ownership of property. The topics covered will include modes of acquisition (e.g., capture, find, creation), adverse possession, present possessory estates and future interests, co-ownership of property, and marital property. This subject is tested on many US bar examinations.

INTERNATIONAL COMPLIANCE LAW (3 CREDITS)

Increased globalization of commerce has substantially increased the risk of fines, sanctions and costly litigation resulting from the way and manner business is conducted around the world. Governments and Unions have responded to globalization to varying degrees by enforcing existing laws, enacting new laws and regulatory requirements addressing competition, market manipulation, trade, and corruption. Aside from costly fines levied against the Corporation, various legal regimes have begun to impose direct liability on directors, managers and third parties who have failed to implement and oversee reasonable compliance programs. These factors require a vigorous and ever-changing compliance program for corporations. A thorough understanding of compliance issues helps lawyers to craft creative and effective legal solutions for their clients. An excellent compliance program cannot only prevent problems but discover issues at an early stage and can be used to receive credit where a corporation runs afoul of a law.

SECURED TRANSACTIONS (2 CREDITS) 

This course covers the creation, perfection and enforcement of security interests in personal property under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). A major component of this course concerns the interaction of Article 9 with the Federal Bankruptcy Law and the effect of the bankruptcy law upon a lender's decisions and expectations. This subject is tested in UBE jurisdictions on US Bar Examinations. Course Type: Exam. Online Asynchronous.

GUIDED RESEARCH (1-3 CREDITS)

This faculty-supervised independent research offers students an opportunity to satisfy the graduation advanced writing and research requirement. Students hone their research, writing and analytical abilities by producing a substantive research or serial writing paper. Students must receive approval from the supervising faculty to take guided research, including their proposed research topic.

SURVEY OF LEGAL TOPICS – EXTENDED BAR REVIEW (2 CREDITS)

This course is designed to jumpstart bar exam preparation. Through interactive learning modules, students develop their substantive knowledge of highly tested topics and then put that knowledge to use through MBE, essay, and MPT practice. The central theme is developing a strong but flexible framework for resolving bar exam problems while sharpening reading comprehension, issue identification, rule mastery, and legal analysis skills.
Course Type: Exam. Online Synchronous. Only available to JD students who need credit for the US Bar Exam Study Course.

US BAR EXAM STUDY COURSE II: PRACTICE (NON-CREDIT)

This course is a comprehensive lecture series on techniques and strategies to take a US state bar exam. This class will help prepare you for the various parts of a bar exam, including the multistate/multiple-choice section (“the MBE”), Uniform Bar Exam or state essays, and the multistate/performance test (“MPT”) questions. The course will use multiple resources, including doctrinal lectures, classroom discussions, substantive outlines, many practice questions, and individual coaching. In this class, as with the bar exam, what matters most is results, and our goal is to make sure that each of you can use these various inputs to produce successful outcomes.

BEGINNER JAPANESE LANGUAGE COURSE (NON-CREDIT)

This course is intended to give students with little to no Japanese language ability, basic speaking and listening proficiency to be able to live comfortably in Tokyo for the semester. This course also will focus on Japanese communications and cultural practices in business, including practice making self-introductions and job interviewing.

LEGAL ENGLISH FOR GLOBAL PRACTICE I: COMMUNICATION (NON-CREDIT)

This course helps English language learners build the professional communication skills that legal practitioners and business people use every day. You do not need to be a lawyer to take it, and you do not need advanced legal knowledge before you start. It is open to anyone who wants to be more confident with legal English — lawyers, business professionals, paralegals, assistants, interpreters, translators, future LLM students, and curious learners. The focus is on communication, not on memorizing the law. Students will receive a Certificate of Completion. 

LEGAL ENGLISH FOR GLOBAL PRACTICE III: NEGOTIATION AND ADVOCACY (NON-CREDIT)

This course helps English language learners develop the practical English skills needed for negotiation, advocacy, and persuasive communication in legal and business settings. You do not need to be a lawyer or have advanced legal knowledge to take it. The course is open to lawyers, business professionals, paralegals, assistants, interpreters, translators, future LLM students, and anyone who wants to communicate more confidently in English. Through interactive exercises, role-plays, negotiations, and advocacy activities, students will practice expressing positions, making persuasive arguments, responding effectively, and communicating clearly and professionally. Students will receive a Certificate of Completion.