International Activities and Relations

The Tokyo Bar Association, supported by the International Committee, has established a strong international network with lawyers from various jurisdictions over the years, and is committed to maintaining these connections in order to provide opportunities our members and promote the rule of law and justice globally.

International Bar Activities

The Tokyo Bar Association, along with bar associations of New York, London and Paris, is a founding member of a global body called the World City Bar Leaders or "WCBL." The WCBL brings together bar leaders from major cities around the globe once a year. In September 2017, we hosted World City Bar Leaders conference in Tokyo. In addition to the original bar members, bar leaders from Frankfurt, Chicago, Warsaw, Shanghai, Taipei, Amsterdam, Montréal, Hong Kong, Brussels, Beijing, and Barcelona attended the conference, exchanged views in a series of sessions, and nurtured inter-bar friendship through social programs.

We also send delegates to each annual congresses of the International Bar Association, the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA) and Law Asia.

Friendship Agreements

We have concluded and maintain friendship agreements with the following bar associations:

• The Chicago Bar Association (March 2007)
• The Council of Lawyers at the Paris Court of Appeal (Paris Bar Association) (June 2010)
• Hong Kong Bar Association (February 2012)
• The Law Society of Hong Kong (February 2012)
• The Bar Association of Rome (September 2017)
• The Barcelona Bar Association (September 2017)
• The Vietnam Bar Federation (January 2018)

We regularly engage and correspond with these bar associations and also exchange updates from time to time with the Lahore Bar Association in Pakistan.

International Activities within Japan

The Tokyo Bar Association and the other two Bar Associations of Tokyo organize and hold a seminar called "The Three Tokyo Bar Associations International Seminar" to discuss topical issues every year. The seminar is followed by a themed social event which provides a valuable networking opportunity for both foreign lawyers practicing in Japan (Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi) and Japanese lawyers.