Jun 25

A Half-Hearted Defense of the Legal Services Cartel

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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules.  He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States.  He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill.

Wait a second?  Why would I defend the ABA when it fails to act on the tuition bubble?  I have my reasons between labor cartel and attorney oversupply, and you can read them here.


Jun 17

The Charge of the Juris Doctor Brigade

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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules.  He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States.  He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill.

Do you like tables?  Not kotatsu!  I mean data tables!  Ones that show where law schools and law students are geographically saturated in the United States.  If you’re considering law school in the U.S., you have to see where not to go.


Jun 11

Bottleneck Attack!

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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules.  He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States.  He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill.

Plenty of people accept the facts about runaway law school tuition, but they think legal education is in a “bottleneck” until the economy recovers and law starts paying off again.  Watch me defend the Dojo in, “Bottleneck Attack!


Jun 3

The Big Bubble Battle (Bart II)

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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules.  He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States.  He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill.

Higher education costs more each year, but if a law school is just a bunch of classrooms, a library, and faculty, why is attending it so much more expensive?  Place your bets on who will win the final bout of the Big Bubble Battle before clicking!


May 28

The Big Bubble Battle (Bart I): Enter the University

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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules.  He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States.  He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill.

If American law schools are festering in a tuition bubble, universities must be too!  Right?  Break out the tako-yaki and watch universities and law schools enter the sumo ring to see which bubble is bigger.


May 21

The Juris Doctor Is Your New Bass-O-Matic

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Matt Leichter (matt [dot] leichter [at] gmail [dot] com) (Saitama-ken 2003-05) is a renegade attorney who plays by his own rules.  He operates his own blog, The Law School Tuition Bubble, where he archives, chronicles, and analyzes the rising cost and declining value of legal education in the United States.  He also maintains the “Bankruptcy Legal Topics,” and, “Bankruptcy Billables,” sections for Steven Horowitz’s Bankruptcy Bill.

Like me, many American JETs contemplate going to law school when faced with their contracts expiring.  You may hear about the value of the Juris Doctor – the degree that’s so flexible you can do anything with it.  Find out why you should recontract and save your yennies by reading this.


May 12

JET alum Michael Auslin testifies before Congress

JET alum Michael Auslin testified before Congress in April about the current state of U.S.-Japan relations. Auslin is a professor of Japanese history and politics and currently the Director of Japanese Studies for the American Enterprise Institute in D.C.

U.S.-Japan Relations

http://www.aei.org/speech/100137

by JET alum Michael Auslin

Mr. Chairman, Senator Inhofe, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the current state of U.S.-Japan relations, and to look ahead at the role the relationship will play in future economic and security developments for both countries. Despite current difficulties in the relationship, I believe that close ties with Japan are essential for the United States to retain a credible strategic position in East Asia and for future economic prosperity in both Asia and America. Yet we must also recognize that relations between the United States and Japan will be more tenuous over the next several years, requiring close communication and a frank assessment of how the relationship benefits each partner.

This past January, Washington and Tokyo observed the 50th anniversary of the U.S.-Japan Alliance, one of the most successful bilateral agreements in recent history. Yet the past seven months of the U.S.-Japan relationship have been consumed with a growing disagreement over whether Japan will fulfill the provisions of a 2006 agreement to relocate Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from its current crowded urban location to a more remote setting on the northern part of the island. Given that the state of U.S.-Japan relations concerns not only the economic relations between the world’s two largest economies, but directly influences the larger strategic position of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region, any substantive change in the U.S.-Japan alliance or in the political relationship that undergirds it could have unanticipated effects that might increase uncertainty and potentially engender instability in this most dynamic region.

To read the whole transcript, go here: http://www.aei.org/speech/100137



Mar 15

New TESOL Certificate Program (San Francisco)

If you’re in the San Francisco area and are looking for a TESOL Certificate Program (Teaching English to a Speaks of Other Languages), the Intercultural Institute of California is an affordable option.

Priced at $1499 for a 140 hour, 4-week course, the non-profit program covers teaching grammar, listening and speaking, writing and reading for those who want to teach English abroad or in the United States.  Contact Kevin at kevinsim@iic. edu or Sina at sina@iic.edu or 415.359.9099 for further questions.

Intercultural Institute of California - English Language Program - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages certificate program

Intercultural Institute of California - English Language Program - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages certificate program


Mar 9

Global MBA at Doshisha Business School, Kyoto

The Global MBA at Doshisha Business School, Kyoto, is a young, growing, high-quality and globally orientated program that builds upon the existing and highly regarded Japanese language MBAs. We welcome applications from highly motivated individuals seeking to develop internationally orientated careers in the global economy. As a former JET myself I consider the GMBA an excellent option for those looking to gain an MBA and to develop careers in international business and management. The Global MBA will equip you will the knowledge, skills, network and intellectual framework expected and required of twenty-first century global businesspeople. Our first JET alumnus will be joining us as a GMBA student in September and we look forward to further applications from JETs.

Find out more

If you are interested in finding out more about our program I strongly recommend that you visit our webpage, http://gmba.doshisha.ac.jp/ , where you can find more details about course content and structure, video interviews with faculty and students, online business seminars and much more.

Provisional applications

We welcome provisional applications from potential candidates as an initial step towards the formal application process. Simply submit your CV/resume and a personal statement outlining your motivation for applying to the Global MBA by email at your earliest convenience. These documents will be reviewed by faculty members who will pass on their comments within a week. This is an opportunity for potential candidates to confirm their eligibility and suitability for the program. There is no cost for this provisional application.

Funding opportunities

I should also like to draw your attention to the generous funding opportunities that we are offering for 2010 entry including two full MEXT scholarships (full fee waiver, monthly stipend and return flights) and a range of monthly stipends. Full details can be found on our webpage but please be aware that only applications received by the March 31st deadline can be considered for this funding.

Visit us

If you are in or near Kyoto, why not call in and see us? We are delighted to meet with applicants and to show them around our facilities. During normal teaching periods we are also more than happy to introduce you to current students and faculty. Please contact the office directly should you wish to arrange a visit.

Any questions?

Feel free to contact us at anytime should you have any questions or queries related to the course and the applications process.

Finally

As a JET alumnus I can fully appreciate what it means to be contemplating the end of your time on the program and what your next step will be. The Global MBA offers an excellent bridge to your future career and will equip you will the knowledge, skills, network and intellectual framework expected and required of twenty-first century global businesspeople. I look forward to receiving your application.
With best wishes,

Dr. A. Staples
Global MBA
Doshisha Business School
astaples@mail.doshisha.ac.jp


Feb 26

Mansfield Fellowship in Japan

Via JETAA DC President Michelle Spezzacatena:

Mansfield Fellowship in Japan

Federal employees with a strong career interest in issues of importance to the U.S.-Japan relationship now have the opportunity to apply for a Mike Mansfield Fellowship.

During the two-year program, Fellows spend a year working full-time in Japanese government offices, preceded by a year of full-time rigorous language and area studies training in the United States. After completing the program, Fellows return to their U.S. agencies with proficiency in Japanese and practical, firsthand experience with Japan and its government that enables them to contribute to their agencies’ Japan-related work.

For more information about the Fellowships, information sessions in Washington, D.C., and application guidelines, please visit www.mansfieldfdn.org or contact Ms. Sara Seavey, Program Assistant, Mansfield Fellowship Program at 202-347-1994 or sseavey@mansfieldfdn.org.

Application deadline:  April 1, 2010.

The Mansfield Fellowship Program is administered by The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation with the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, as grantor.


Feb 9

Study in Japan: Keio University Graduate School of Media Design Information Session

Thanks to JETAA NY Webmaster Lee-Sean Huang for passing this on:


Jan 19

“The US-Japan Alliance: Relic of a By-gone Era” by JET alum Michael Auslin

auslin_clip_image002The latest from JET alum Michael Auslin, a professor of Japanese history and politics and currently the Director of Japanese Studies for the American Enterprise Institute in D.C.  This one part of The AEI Outlook Series.

The U.S.-Japan Alliance:  Relic of a By-gone Era?

http://www.aei.org/outlook/100929

by JET alum Michael Auslin

The U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation was signed in Washington, D.C., fifty years ago this month. Few alliances last half a century. The fact that this one has is a testament to its strength, but it is also the result of East Asia’s failure to develop stable political and security relationships in the decades after World War II. It also reflects Japan’s postwar political realities and the choices successive Japanese governments made to maintain the country’s largely pacifist global role. Yet, the pressures on the alliance today raise questions about how well it can adapt to changes inside Japan, the United States, and throughout Asia. If the alliance is to survive, how should it change to best serve the evolving national interests of Japan and the United States?

Key points in this Outlook:

* The U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation has helped maintain peace in Asia for the past fifty years.

* Security-related issues regarding North Korea’s nuclear-weapons program and China’s growing military raise important political questions for the future of the alliance.

* Today, the Obama and Hatoyama administrations must decide if they view the alliance as a key element in their security strategies or as an outdated relic of a bygone era.

To read the whole paper, go here:  http://www.aei.org/outlook/100929


Dec 11

JET Alum Writing: Jonathan Golub – Private Fund Investment Advisers Registration Act of 2009

Golub

Jonathan Golub, Esq. (Saitama-ken, 1996-97)

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For JetWit readers working in law or financial services, you may be interested to know that attorney Jonathan Golub (Saitama-ken, 1996-97) was a major contributor to a recent article on the topic of hedge funds and a proposed law that would require many hedge fund managers to register with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC).

Global Note:  House of Representatives to Consider Private Fund Investment Advisers Registration Act of 2009 (November 2009)

http://www.thshlaw.com/documents/DEC_2009/GlobalNote-Private_Fund_Investment_Advisers_Registration_Act.pdf

Jonathan is a senior financial services associate at Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP. He advises investment advisers on a wide variety of matters including private investment fund formation and compliance with securities and commodities regulations.



Dec 2

Here are two videos of Roland Kelts (Osaka-shi, 1998-99), author of Japanamerica, from a keynote speech he gave at the University of Missouri in St. Louis back in October.

In the first, he talks about the connection between manga and anime and traditional Japanese line-based aesthetics–or what Takashi Murakami now calls “Superflat”:

And in the second video, he discusses the fundamental differences between American visual iconography and Japanese sensibilities, with a reference to Pokemon in America and McDonald’s in Japan:


Nov 18

JET alum David Kowalsky reviews “Twitterville: How Businesses Can Thrive in the New Global Neighborhoods”

twitterbuttonJET alum and technical writer David Kowalsky has a nice book review on the book Twitterville:  How Businesses Can Thrive in the New Global Neighborhoods in the latest edition of Sound Views, the newsletter for the Puget Sound Chapter of the Society for Technical Writers.

Here’s the link:  http://bit.ly/3hix5A.

Have a look and feel free to share your thoughts on Twitter as well.  Also, you can follow JetWit via Twitter at http://twitter.com/jetwit.


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