August 22, 2006

Japan, long known for its very low rates of litigation and very sparsely populated legal profession, looks likely to change all that. The Associated Press reports that "the government has decided to more than double the number of legal professionals, including lawyers, prosecutors and judges, to 50,000 by 2018." As part of this policy, 72 new U.S.-style law schools have been opened, and the bar exam is to be made easier. Rates of litigation are also on the increase, at least if a rise in personal bankruptcies is any indication.