LEDGE is proud to announce the launch of "Pro Bono in Japan: Corporate Law Firm Practice, Challenges, and Pathways Forward" on March 25, 2026 – the first report of its kind to analyze pro bono practice among corporate law firms in Japan.

Drawing on surveys and interviews conducted with law firms and public interest organizations, as well as desk research, it examines the current state, challenges, and future potential of pro bono engagement, with a primary focus on international law firms with Japan offices.

The report finds that while these firms have strong pro bono infrastructure and genuine interest in expanding local engagement, actual engagement has yet to fully reflect that potential. It identifies the structural bottlenecks behind that gap and proposes concrete pathways to address them, with supplementary analysis of Japanese corporate law firms.

Pro Bono in Japan: Corporate Law Firm Practice, Challenges, and Pathways Forward

Pro bono partnerships are central to how LEDGE pursues its mission. Public interest litigation is resource-intensive and long-running, and the organizations that sustain it in other jurisdictions, including the United States, do so in large part through pro bono collaboration with corporate law firms – including direct representation in major public interest cases.

In Japan, pro bono engagement by large corporate law firms has remained relatively limited and uneven.

Building a comparable model first requires understanding where things stand today, what conditions would enable more consistent and sustainable pro bono engagement, and where the leverage points are – questions that have not been the subject of any comprehensive analysis. This report aims to fill that gap.

The report is structured in three parts.

Part I maps the current state of pro bono practice in Japan, with a primary focus on international law firms with Japan offices and a supplementary analysis of large Japanese corporate firms, alongside selected examples of collaboration with nonprofit organizations and legal networks.

Part II places these findings in comparative perspective by examining the development and institutionalization of pro bono practice in the United States.

Part III identifies three structural bottlenecks – access and intermediation, capacity misalignment, and invisibility – and proposes concrete pathways to address them.

This report is intended as a practical resource to inform discussion and action within Japan's legal community.

*This report is part of a project to build a pro bono ecosystem for public interest litigation in Japan, made possible through the generous support of the United States-Japan Foundation.

Join the conversation: Symposium on March 27

To mark the release of this report, we will co-host a symposium on March 27.

Together with lawyers dedicated to pro bono work and civil society organizations involved in pro bono collaboration, we will explore the current state of pro bono in Japan and what it would take to strengthen it. Join us as we discuss the future of pro bono in Japan.

◼️Event details

• Date & Time: Friday, March 27, 2026 | 5:30–8:30 PM
• Venue: Belle Salle Roppongi Grand Conference Center [Room C] (Google Map)
• Please register by 12:00 p.m.March 27 via Google Form
• Co-hosted by LEDGE and CALL4.
• Supported by the Tokyo Bar Association, Dai-ichi Tokyo Bar Association, Daini Tokyo Bar Association, Japan In-House Lawyers Association (JILA), and the United States-Japan Foundation.

◼️Program

1. Overview of Pro Bono in Japan: Findings from the Japan Pro Bono Report

・Clarisse Ikeda, Global Legal Officer, LEDGE

2. Pro Bono Collaborations in Practice

Pro Bono in Support of Public Interest Litigation
・Motoki Taniguchi, Executive Director, LEDGE

Corporate Legal Advice for Nonprofits & Social Enterprises
・Satoshi Watanabe, Deputy Representative, BLP-Network

3. Pro Bono from a Japanese Firm Perspective

・Koichi Saito, Partner, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune

・In conversation with Motoki Taniguchi, Executive Director, LEDGE

4. Panel Discussion: Pro Bono in Japan – Practice, Challenges and Pathways Forward

・Eri Ishikawa, Chair of the Board, Japan Association for Refugees (JAR)

・Hiroki Sugita, Partner, Orrick

・Kaoru Umino, Partner, DLA Piper

・Moderator: Taro Tanaka, Global Legal Officer, LEDGE

Following the symposium, guests are warmly invited to stay for networking over food and drinks.