Our Mission
About Lawyer Autonomy
The mission of attorneys is to enable social justice and protect basic human rights (Attorneys Law, Article 1). In order to fulfill this mission, bar associations are considered completely independent from the courts, the prosecutor's office, and other government agencies. Lawyer autonomy relies on 1) attorney registration with the bar association, 2) attorney guidance, supervision, and discipline by the bar association, and 3) compulsory membership in the bar association.
Lawyer Autonomy Activities of the Tokyo Bar Association
The Tokyo Bar Association promotes lawyer autonomy by conducting the following activities:
Grievance Consultation
The association operates a service whereby complaints made by Tokyo residents regarding members of the Tokyo Bar Association are handled by phone or in person by attorneys. The service also provides guidance on how to file a request for discipline or proceed with arbitration against an attorney.
Mediation for Disputes with Attorneys
The Tokyo Bar Association conducts mediation procedures between its members and their clients in order to solve disputes through discussion. Once a complaint is filed by a client, the Mediation Center on Member-Client Disputes will determine the place of negotiation and conduct mediation.
Discipline
If an attorney who is a member of the Tokyo Bar Association has committed a violation of the Attorneys Law, he or she will be subject to disciplinary measures by the Tokyo Bar Association. The association can impose 4 types of disciplinary measures: (1) issue a warning, (2) suspend the attorney from legal practice for up to two years, (3) order the attorney to withdraw his or her membership with the Tokyo Bar Association, (4) cause the attorney to lose his or her standing as an attorney as well as the qualifications to become an attorney for three years. Once a request for disciplinary action has been filed, the Tokyo Bar Association will make a determination based on an examination by the Discipline Maintenance Committee and an investigation by the Disciplinary Actions Committee, and the President will then notify the member who committed the violation.