THE SPECIAL MEASURES LAW CONCERNING
THE HANDLING OF LEGAL BUSINESS BY FOREIGN LAWYERS
(The Foreign Lawyers Law)

Chapter IV. Registration, Practice and Supervision of a Gaikokuho-Jimu-Bengoshi

Section 2. Registration of a Gaikokuho-Jimu-Bengoshi
Sub-Section 1. Register of Gaikokuho-Jimu-Bengoshi

(Registration)

Article 24.

1. A person who is qualified to become a gaikokuho-jimu-bengoshi shall be required, for becoming a gaikokuho-jimu-bengoshi, to obtain registration of his or her name, date of birth, nationality, name of the country of primary qualification, address in Japan, office, name of the bar association to which he or she belongs and other matters as are to be stipulated by the regulations of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, in the Register of Gaikokuho-Jimu-Bengoshi kept by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.
2. Registration in the Register of Gaikokuho-Jimu-Bengoshi shall be made by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.

(Request for registration, etc.)

Article 25.

1. A person who intends to obtain registration under the provisions of the preceding Article (hereinafter referred to as "registration") shall submit a written request for registration to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations through the bar association to which he or she intends to be admitted.
2. The written request for registration mentioned in the preceding paragraph shall include statements on the following matters and shall be accompanied by a document verifying that he or she is qualified to become a gaikokuho-jimu-bengoshi and other documents as are to be stipulated by the regulations of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations:
   • (1) the matters to be registered.
   • (2) the date on which approval was obtained.
   • (3) honors and punishments, if any, which he or she has received as a foreign lawyer, and evaluation of his or her professional career as a foreign lawyer by the supervisory organ of his or her practice.
   • (4) other matters as are to be stipulated by the regulations of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.
3. The bar association which has received the submission of a written request for registration mentioned in Paragraph 1 shall promptly transmit it to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.
4. The bar association mentioned in the preceding paragraph may express its opinions to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations as regards the request for registration provided for in Paragraph 1 (hereinafter referred to as "request for registration").

(Refusal of registration)

Article 26. In cases where it is feared that a person who has made a request for registration would damage the order or reputation of the bar association or the Japan Federation of Bar Associations or where he or she comes under one of the following items and it is feared that it would be inappropriate to permit him or her to practice as a gaikokuho-jimu-bengoshi, the Japan Federation of Bar Associations may refuse his or her registration, based on the decision of the Gaikokuho-Jimu-Bengoshi Registration Screening Board:

• (1) when he or she is mentally or physically handicapped.
• (2) when he or she has made the request after the lapse of three years from the date when he or she was subject to the action stipulated in Item (3) of Article 6 of the Bengoshi Law which applies mutatis mutandis pursuant to the provisions of Article 8.

(Notice on registration)

Article 27. In cases where the Japan Federation of Bar Associations has received a request for registration, it shall notify in writing the person who has made the request for registration, the bar association which has transmitted it and the Minister of Justice to the effect that his or her registration has been made or that it has been refused, together with the reason for refusal, as the case may be.

(Request for transfer of registration, etc.)

Article 28.

1. In cases where a gaikokuho-jimu-bengoshi intends to change the bar association to which he or she belongs, he or she shall submit a written request for the transfer of registration to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations through the bar association to which he or she intends to be admitted anew.
2. When a gaikokuho-jimu-bengoshi makes a request for the transfer of registration under the provisions of the preceding paragraph (hereinafter referred to as "request for the transfer of registration"), he or she shall report such fact to the bar association to which he or she now belongs.
3. The provisions of Paragraphs 3 and 4 of Article 25 and the preceding two Articles shall apply mutatis mutandis to a request for the transfer of registration.

(Request for rescission of registration)

Article 29. In cases where a gaikokuho-jimu-bengoshi intends to cease his or her practice, he or she shall make a request to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations for the rescission of his or her registration through the bar association to which he or she belongs.

(Rescission of registration)

Article 30.

1. The Japan Federation of Bar Associations shall rescind the registration of a gaikokuho-jimu-bengoshi when he or she comes under any one of the following items:
   • (1) he or she has come to fall under any item (except Item (2)) of Article 6 of the Bengoshi Law which applies mutatis mutandis pursuant to the provisions of Article 8 of this Law.
   • (2) he or she has made a request for the rescission of registration in accordance with the provisions of the preceding Article.
   • (3) he or she has received an order of secession.
   • (4) the approval has been rescinded because of coming under Item (1) of Paragraph 1 or any one of the items of Paragraph 2 of Article 14, or pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph 3 of the same Article.
   • (5) he or she has died.
2. The Japan Federation of Bar Associations may rescind the registration of a gaikokuho-jimu-bengoshi, based on the decision of the Gaikokuho-Jimu-Bengoshi Registration Screening Board in cases where he or she has made a false statement as regards any of the matters mentioned in each item of Article 26 or he or she has violated the provisions of Article 48.
3. In cases where the Japan Federation of Bar Associations has rescinded the registration under the provisions of Items (1) to (4) of Paragraph 1 or of the preceding paragraph, it shall notify in writing the gaikokuho-jimu-bengoshi concerned, the bar association to which he or she belonged until then and the Minister of Justice, to that effect, together with the reasons therefor.

(Reporting the grounds for the rescission of registration)

Article 31. In cases where a bar association finds that there are grounds for rescinding the registration of a gaikokuho-jimu-bengoshi who belongs to it, it shall report such fact promptly to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.

(Public announcement of registration, etc.)

Article 32. In cases where the Japan Federation of Bar Associations has effected registration, transfer of registration or rescission of registration, it shall publicly announce such fact in the Official Gazette promptly.

(Request for supplementary registration of designated law)

Article 33.

1. In cases where a gaikokuho-jimu-bengoshi intends to have the designated law registered as a supplement to his or her registration, he or she shall submit a written request for the supplementary registration of the designated law to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations through the bar association to which he or she belongs.
2. The written request for the supplementary registration of the designated law mentioned in the preceding paragraph shall include statements on the matters stipulated by the regulations of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations and it shall be accompanied by a document verifying that the designation has been made.
3. The provisions of Paragraph 3 of Article 25 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the transmission of the written request for the supplementary registration of the designated law mentioned in Paragraph 1.

(Supplementary registration of designated law)

Article 34.

1. The Japan Federation of Bar Associations shall, upon receipt of the request provided for in the preceding Article, promptly register the designated law concerned as a supplement to the registration of the gaikokuho-jimu-bengoshi concerned.
2. The provisions of Article 27 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the supplementary registration made in accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraph.

(Deletion of supplementary registration of designated law)

Article 35. The Japan Federation of Bar Associations shall delete the supplementary registration of the designated law concerned in cases where the registration has been rescinded.

(Public announcement of supplementary registration of designated law, etc.)

Article 36. The provisions of Article 32 shall apply mutatis mutandis to the supplementary registration of a designated law and the deletion of such registration.