Talk about tough. Becoming a lawyer in Japan has been harder than getting into one of the T15 (top 15) law schools in the US. They’re now changing their system to be less selective and not fail 97% of those who take the test.

Japan expecting flood of new lawyers – AP via Y! News

“Japan has roughly 22,000 lawyers – one for every 5,790 people, compared with one for every 268 in the U.S. Under the old bar exam, to be scrapped in 2011, fewer than 1,500 people are allowed to pass every year. In the United States, with about twice Japan’s population, the number is closer to 75,000.”

Wow, there are a lot of lawyers in the U.S. Hard to believe, but I hadn’t seen any actual reports regarding the number of lawyers in the US. I can believe it, considering how litigious we are. Is it a good thing? I’m not sure. I’ll need to think that over some more.