The origin of the School of Law can be traced to 1949 (Showa 24) when its predecessor the School of Politics and Economics, Hiroshima University was established. Following 1950 (Showa 25), the second branch of the School of Politics and Economics (a five-year evening program) was founded attached to it. Ever since then, we have offered opportunities for working students to study. After that, the School of Law and the School of Economics were separated and reorganized in 1977 (Showa 52) making them independent. Thus, over the course of the half century after the War, as the first School of Law in a national university in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions, we have taken the lead in education and research in these regions, producing outstanding talent.

In 1995 (Heisei 7), the Daytime Division of the School of Law was transferred to the Higashi Hiroshima Campus (Higashi-Hiroshima city) reforming as the Daytime Course. Simultaneously, the Second Division of the School of Law (five-year evening program) was reorganized into the Evening Main Course, a four-year program with classes conducted both during the daytime and evenings. Classes of the Evening Main Course are still held in the Higashi-Senda Campus (Naka-ku, Hiroshima City) and it plays a role as a university in the center of the city which provides opportunities for life-long learning widely, not only for working students. After most of the schools of Hiroshima University were relocated to the Higashi-Hiroshima Campus, as a satellite of Hiroshima University in Hiroshima City, the Higashi-Senda Campus still serves as a base for education and research activities tied closely to the local area.

As such, the School of Law continues to develop as an undergraduate course with two campuses and two courses.  

In addition, following the establishment of the Graduate School of Law (master’s course) in 1972 (Showa 47), the Graduate School of Social Science, Law Major was established in 1986 (Showa 61) with a doctoral course in a new scheme. Since then, we have educated highly capable specialists.

In 2004 (Heisei 16), along with the foundation of the Hiroshima University Law School in Higashi-Senda Campus, the Graduate School of Social Science, Law Major was reformed into the Law and Political System Major.

The philosophy of our undergraduate education is to foster three basic abilities, which can be applied in various fields, in order to educate legal professionals who have a sound interest in society and a legal mind. The three abilities are: (1) the ability to be aware of social issues with broad perspectives, (2) the ability to analyze problems based on a systematic understanding of legal systems, and (3) the ability to propose specific solutions through logical thinking.

All university graduates, as cultivated individuals, have social connections and are often required to reconcile a broad range of interests. Under such circumstances, people who attended a school of law are desired to act as independent individuals with an understanding of others, not judging simply based on power relationships or without any principles (based on power or wealth).

We hope that students gain a wide range of knowledge, focusing on legal studies and armed with professionalism, with which they can serve society.

The School of Law offers specialized classes that focus on legal studies, politics, sociology and liberal arts classes. In addition, students are able to take various classes organically related to them. Respecting students’ autonomy, we provide four-year undergraduate education in an open and natural atmosphere.  

Students are able to learn by measuring their achievement levels in lectures and other small-group formats. Students learn autonomous methods in Liberal Arts Seminars conducted in the first year and acquire basic legal knowledge through Basic Subjects in the second year, and increase their interest in Specialized Subjects conducted during the third and fourth years.