Japan introduces new streamlined process to welcome more foreign lawyers

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Japan has introduced a new streamlined registration process to make it easier for British firms to access Japan’s legal services market. The changes will save time and money, while bolstering “collaboration” between the legal sectors and “boosting bilateral trade in legal services”.

It has always been a relatively lengthy process to register foreign lawyers in Japan, which creates challenges for international law firms and solicitors, according to the Law Society of England and Wales. As such, the Law Society has been working closely with the British Embassy in Tokyo, the UK’s Ministry of Justice and the Department for Business and Trade to identify ways to streamline the process and improve access to Japan’s legal services for British firms.

As part of the streamlined process, the Japanese Ministry of Justice will allow law firms to reuse certain employer-related documents on behalf of their foreign lawyers when registering. For lawyers who’ve previously worked as registered foreign lawyers in Japan and are looking to reregister, the required documents to verify their former work experience have also been simplified.

Speaking of the streamlined process, Law Society President Nick Emmerson said it “will help to save time and money for both law firms and foreign lawyers in Japan”. He explained that the changes are “a positive reflection of the Japanese government’s broader desire to attract more foreign direct investment and highly skilled talent to its domestic market. This helps both foreign and Japanese firms hire foreign lawyers”.

With Japan’s legal market valued at more than $5 billion in 2023, according to data from Astute Analytica, the change has also been welcomed by other legal professionals, including Watson Farley & Williams LLP partner Simon Collins, who’s based in Tokyo. Collins said the simplified process will be “of benefit to all international law firms operating in Japan”.