• Department of Law
  • Department of International Legal Studies
  • Department of Legal Studies of the Global Environment
To acquire a legal background is to acquire a strength applicable to every aspect of life

Learning at Sophia – Faculty of Law Edition |
The Legal Mind at Sophia

Be a person who can take the lead in solving a diverse range of problems using legal thinking and problem analysis skills

#Sophian
Sophian studying in the Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Law attracts students with interests in not only law but a wide range of areas including business, issues and conflicts in modern society, politics, and the environment. During the four years of study, students may develop new fields of interest. The rich variety of classes offered by different departments with different specialties—while focusing on law—will surely give students insights to the future.

#Atmosphere
Liberal and welcoming atmosphere

A liberal atmosphere that accepts not only international students and returnees but also a diversity of languages and opinions. Discussions take place in an environment where teachers and students respect each other without boundaries. Indeed, sometimes faculty teachers discover new ideas from students’ opinions. Students gain opportunities to build strong relationships with others regardless of position or background.

#Global
Understand the background of a world with borders

Law is not borderless but a world within borders. The lines are driven by legislation based on the sovereignty of each country, so it is important to broaden our knowledge of the world to understand how culture and customs influence the application and process of law. The international and diverse environment of our campus at Sophia University will enrich students in this aspect of law.

#Synergy
Across the three departments

The Faculty of Law is divided into three specialized departments, yet students can take courses across the departments without limiting their ambition or future possibilities. The connections with the knowledge students learn in different fields will bring them new discoveries and multiple perspectives, and acquiring such a broad scope of knowledge will instill students with far more options for the future.

#Sophia Law
What it means to study at the Faculty of Law

Acquiring legal and logical thinking skills—also known as the “legal mind”—and an understanding of social systems are the essence of learning. Following the letters and memorizing the law is not the main focus of learning in the Faculty of Law. Rather, it is critical to develop an understanding of history, morality, philosophy, politics, and the like in the context of humanity and society.

About the Faculty of Law

Legal Profession Course

Sophia University established the Legal Profession Course starting in the 2020 academic year. This course is an integrated five-year course for law students who aim to become legal professionals by graduating with the bachelor’s program early in three years and completing a master’s degree in two years, then taking the bar examination. This course not only offers classes under the cooperative agreement with the Graduate School of Law, but also provides support programs other than the regular course, such as seminars, self-study support, and practice sessions with about ten attorneys who have completed the course. In addition, students are entitled to a tuition waiver for the Sophia Graduate School of Law when entering through the integrated five-year course.

AQUILA, English Special Course

AQUILA, a special program established in the Department of International Legal Studies, offers classes taught in English. Through the acquisition of advanced language skills supported by a high level of academic expertise, the course strives to develop people who will contribute to a multicultural society. Students will be certified as having completed the course upon passing the prescribed number of credits and other requirements.

Short-term Study-Abroad Programs through the Faculty of Law

研修先:The University of Western Australia(オーストラリア)
Location: The University of Western Australia, Australia

The program is designed to offer students an opportunity to participate casually during long vacations and to study local jurisprudence and legal culture in a foreign language on a short-term, intensive basis. This program can also be used as a step toward long-term study abroad.

Educational Objectives and Policies

To cultivate the ability to apply legal approaches to address various problems arising society through broad-raging study of the law and related subjects.

To produce graduates equipped with legal acumen and problem-solving skills attuned to modern society as well as capable of playing active roles both in and out of Japan internationally.

With an aim to foster human resources that have acquired the ability to proactively analyze and solve problems using basic knowledge of law and a framework of legal thinking with a broad perspective and flexible mind, the Faculty of Law sets standards for the skills and knowledge students should acquire before graduation as follows. Students who fulfill the graduation requirements shall be deemed to have acquired these qualities and will be awarded diploma.

In accordance with Diploma Policy, the Faculty of Law constructs its curriculum with courses aligned to the following purposes:

  1. To have students engage in interdisciplinary learning by offering basic law Courses as a foundation for learning as well as advanced and leading law courses and related courses such as politics, economics and international relations in order to acquire basic legal knowledge and framework of thinking. This way, students will be able to analyze and solve issues with broad perspective and flexible mind.
  2. To engage students in more autonomous and in-depth debate with problem consciousness and academic interest by offering small-group seminar-style courses.

Assuming students are academically prepared for a university education,  the Faculty of Law seeks students who are interested in the issues and conflicts occurring in modern society as well as in global environmental issues, can objectively and flexibly observe such issues from legal or political perspective, and present their arguments while listening carefully to the opinions of their counterparts.

Sophia University

For Others, With Others