In Japan, the Juris Doctor (JD)-style law-school system was introduced in 2004 as part of a judicial system reform. As of late, this system seems to have become dysfunctional. The pass rate of the national bar exam (NBE) is around 20% every year, and the NBE puts students are under considerable pressure. “Re”-renovation of legal education is, thereby, a huge and pressing issue. Reducing the number of JD students could be a quick solution to the current problems. However, this is not enough, nor is it good for fostering legal professionals “rich both in quality and quantity” (the second aim of the judicial reform). Legal education should go beyond the NBE. The Japanese government and law schools have just begun to re-renovate legal education, giving priority to three challenges: (1) offering continuous legal-education programmes for practitioners; (2) enhancing community service and supporting career development of graduates in the new legal service area; and (3) internationalization. How can the Japanese legal-education system go beyond the NBE? Re-renovation deserves continued attention.
