Abstract:
Abstract: Professor Haley is an outstanding international and comparative law
scholars, widely credited with having popularized Japanese legal studies in the United
States. In 1969, Haley received a fellowship from the University of Washington and was
in one of the first classes to graduate from the Asian Law Program, now, the Asian Law
Center. After working for several years in law firms in Japan, he joined the law faculty at
the University of Washington, where he remained for nearly twenty-six years during
which time he directed the Asian and Comparative Law Program. In June 2012,
Professor Haley was awarded The Order of the Rising Sun (3rd Class) from the Emperor
of Japan for his contribution to the discipline of Japanese law and education to Japanese
legal professionals and academics. In honor of this achievement, the University of
Washington School of Law and the Asian Law Center brought together distinguished
scholars and Asian Law Center alumni to discuss the judiciary’s increased role in Japan
and Asia in two conferences. The following is Professor Haley’s address at the
University of Waseda, Japan, on October 22nd, 2012. In this speech, Professor Haley
provides an overview of the role of legal precedent in Japan, both throughout its history
and today.
