Assuming the Role of Chairperson (6th Term) from April 2025.

Since its establishment in 2007, the PSIM Consortium has been engaged in various activities aimed at advancing practical legal education in law schools. These activities include the development of teaching materials, research on pedagogical methods, and the creation of training programs for educators. I believe that such efforts have played a significant role in realizing the educational philosophy of law schools, which is to serve as a “bridge between theory and practice.”

However, in recent years, the legal education and training system in Japan has been undergoing rapid transformation. For instance, in June 2019, the Act on the Coordination between Legal Education in Law Schools and the National Bar Examination was amended. As a result, the “Legal Profession Career  (Ｈousou) Course” began at the undergraduate level in April 2020, and since 2023, it has become possible to take the bar exam while still enrolled in law school. Additionally, in April 2022, the high school curriculum saw the introduction of a new mandatory subject called “Public Affairs (Kokyo),” replacing the previous subject “Contemporary Society (Gendai Shakai).” “Public Affairs” is considered a cornerstone of civic education and aligns closely with legal education. Furthermore, as the trend of declining interest in legal careers continues, the 2024 Report on the Number of Legal Career Aspirants in Japan revealed that the majority of students decide whether or not to pursue a legal career by the time they are in junior high or high school. In broader society, the rapid advancement of IT and the increasing expectations for AI utilization across various fields are also worth noting.

In response to these trends, the PSIM Consortium revised its bylaws in 2023 and has since launched initiatives targeting high school students. We have also begun developing new video-based and digital teaching materials that leverage IT and AI. Even in this new era, our mission remains unchanged: to contribute to the cultivation of highly capable and qualified legal professionals within the framework of a legal training system that emphasizes process.

Moving forward, we remain committed to advancing research and development for innovative and effective legal practice education through the collective efforts of the Consortium.

April 2025 Yasuhiro Miyaki Chairperson, PSIM Consortium
(Professor, Graduate School of Law, Nagoya University)