Greetings to Our Alumni and Friends
A new academic year is fully underway at Columbia Law School! The Center for Japanese Legal Studies was very busy during 2022-2023, and we would like to take this moment to let you know about some of our activities.
Nobuhisa Ishizuka
Executive Director
Center Activities
Welcome (Back)!
We had the pleasure of welcoming CLS students and scholars interested in Japan with a well-attended in-person reception on September 20, and we look forward to hosting more events through the 2023-2024 academic year.
Exploring Asian American Attrition in U.S. Law Firms
The Center is continuing to work with with Justice Goodwin Liu of the Supreme Court of California on a study of attrition among Asian American and other underrepresented groups at U.S. law firms. Columbia Law students Tiancheng (Tim) Lyu, Andrea Ma, and Amanda Wang were accepted as research assistants for the project, and they are expected to produce a report by the end of the year. This project is supported through the Columbia Law School Anti-Racism Grantmaking Program (ARGP).
Supporting Student Research
Bryanna Willis was hired as a research associate through the Isaac and Jacqueline Weiss Shapiro Fellowship Program. Her research focused on Japan's 2015 Peace and Security Legislation.
Tokyo Alumni Reception
This summer, CLS hosted a reception for alumni in Tokyo. Dean Gillian Lester and Nobuhisa Ishizuka met with alumni at the Peninsula Hotel on July 11 and shared updates about the Law School's upcoming projects and programs.
Student Activities
Morrison & Foerster Public Interest Fellowships in Japan
Morrison & Foerster LLP supports the Center for Japanese Legal Studies by awarding fully funded public-interest fellowships with Japanese organizations. This summer, through the fellowship, Sofia Castillo conducted legal research and worked on a wide range of projects at Human Rights Now! in Tokyo.
Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu Fellowship
The Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (NO&T) Fellowship helps Columbia Law School attract the top J.D. candidates in the country with a professional interest in Japan. The Center awarded two NO&T Fellowships to incoming students in the Class of 2026 to Isa McCune, Lea Namouni, and Shoki Yoda.
Shapiro Fellowship
The Center awards the Shapiro Fellowship to Columbia Law School students affiliated with the Center. The Isaac and Jacqueline Weiss Shapiro Fellowship supports research on Japanese law by Columbia Law School students working under the supervision of a Columbia University faculty member. This year’s fellowship will be awarded during the academic year.
NHK Student Group
The Center for Japanese Legal Studies would like to introduce the 2023-2024 leadership of Nihonhō Kenkyūkai (NHK) student group. Leadership includes Yudu (Ryan) Zang and Amy Tan as Co-President and Robert James Avila as Treasurer.
We extend our appreciation to the outgoing board in which Yanzhao Chang served as President, Coco Wang served as VP for Career Affairs, and Sahil Soni served as VP for Social Affairs.
Interested in NHK? Please feel free to contact NHK with any questions that you may have at [email protected].
University of Tokyo Faculty Exchange
One of the Center's flagship programs has been the Faculty exchange with the University of Tokyo. The Center administered the long-running faculty exchange program between CLS and the University of Tokyo, hosting visiting Japanese Professor Masayuki Tamaruya, an expert in trust law, and Professor Haruo Hirano, an expert in international corporate law. In exchange, the Center sent Professor Merritt Fox and Professor Sarah Cleveland.
Beyond Columbia Law School
In addition to the above-mentioned activities, Center Executive Director Nobuhisa Ishizuka coauthored, with M.P. Ram Mohan of the Indian Institute of Management and Sidharth Sharma, General Counsel of Tata Group, Doctrinal Conflict in Foreign Investment Regulation in India: NTT Docomo vs. Tata Sons and the Case for “Downside Protection" which was published in the University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law.
Nobuhisa Ishizuka, provided an introductory overview of the differences between the legal systems and cultures of the United States and Japan for the Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies' Getting to Know Japan Series co-sponsored by The United States-Japan Foundation (USJF).
Nobuhisa Ishizuka also was interviewed by Brian Yap for "Japan’s Top Firms: Will Japan’s 'Big 4' Become the Big 5?" in Law.com.