Student Life (Xiang Ni)

How did you find out about the LLM program, and what attracted you to pursue it?

I was first drawn to Japan by my love of Japanese detective novels and its living environment, which eventually led me to decide to relocate here. I needed a bridge to make this transition and establish my career and life in Japan. After considering my background, strengths, and career plans, I chose Keio’s LL.M. among the many excellent programs offered by Japanese universities for four main reasons:

First, the program is firmly grounded in Japan while maintaining a strong international outlook, covering Japanese, U.S., international, and comparative law. Second, it bridges academic learning and legal practice: the faculty includes both academics and practitioners, guest speakers regularly bring fresh perspectives from practice, and the program offers internship opportunities in Japan. Third, its curriculum is remarkably forward-looking. Its AI-related courses particularly attracted me as I wanted to explore how lawyers can harness AI strategically and effectively by understanding its capabilities, limitations, and nuances and, more importantly, what distinctive value lawyers can continue to offer in the age of AI. Finally, beyond offering a broad range of courses, the program allows students to pursue more focused study in a particular field and earn a certificate recognizing their commitment and achievement in that area. This aligned perfectly with my goal of using my career break to fill a gap in my previous experience and develop my expertise in intellectual property law.

Please tell us about your most memorable class, along with the reason why.

Keio’s classes made learning genuinely addictive, and I would love to take many of them all over again. Two classes were particularly memorable to me.

The first was Professor Tsukasa Aso’s “Comparative Japanese IP Case Law: Product Design Protection.” We explored how product designs can be protected not only under design law, but also through trademark, copyright, and unfair competition law, each with its own strengths and limitations. Professor Aso brought these rules to life through nearly 100 Japanese and international cases involving familiar subjects, from iconic toys to convenience store designs. Our class discussion on “functionality” particularly sparked my curiosity, leading me to explore the issue further and eventually develop it into my research paper.

The other was “Start-up Company and Venture Capital Law,” co-taught by Professor Aaron Monroe-Sheridan, lecturer Eric Marcks, and lecturer Anthony Luna. All three instructors are experienced partners who brought first-hand insights from the front lines of practice into our discussions of the start-up ecosystem, financing, and exits. Beyond this, we were constantly challenged through group discussions, presentations, and conversations with guest speakers to spot issues, ask the right question, and articulate our thinking clearly. I believe these skills matter even more in the age of AI, and I found myself drawing on them repeatedly later in networking, job interviews, and legal practice.

What do you enjoy about life at Keio?

My year at Keio has been challenging but incredibly rewarding. What I love most about Keio is that whenever you take the initiative to explore new possibilities, Keio always has an answer for you.

When I sought to further improve my Japanese, Keio gave me access to its K7 Japanese language courses and the opportunity to join IP seminars with undergraduate students. When I wanted to better understand the Japanese legal market, professors and practitioners generously offered their time, advice, and connections to internship and career opportunities. When I hoped to study alongside law students from different countries, Keio gave me the opportunity to join the Law, Data, and Methods summer program at National Taiwan University.

Not every possibility I explored was about my legal career. I have always loved literature, although I ultimately chose law. At Keio, I had the chance to glimpse a path I had not taken by joining undergraduate classes on Shakespeare and George Orwell.

Throughout the year, the faculty and Student Services team responded to my curiosity with openness and support. Knowing that there would always be someone willing to listen and help gave me the confidence to keep asking, exploring, and pursuing more.

What are your plans after you finish your studies at Keio? What do you think you will take with you from this experience?

I came to Keio with a clear plan: to build my legal career in Japan. Keio helped me turn that plan into reality. After graduation, I will join the Tokyo office of a UK law firm, where I will develop my practice in the energy sector.

Yet what I will take with me from Keio goes far beyond what I could have planned or imagined when I first arrived. Among many unexpected rewards, two are particularly invaluable to me.

The first is the Keio community. Its alumni network extends across industries and around the world through Mita-kai. As a foreign lawyer building my career in Tokyo, being part of this community has given me a natural point of connection, a sense of belonging, and meaningful professional relationships.

The second is learning how to navigate possibilities. Keio brought together an extraordinary range of people, perspectives, information, and resources, but making the most of them required me to take the initiative: to seek out information, understand myself, identify what mattered to me, and decide which opportunities to pursue. In learning how to maneuver my way through the LL.M. program, I also learned how to maneuver my own life—with a clearer understanding of who I am, what I am capable of, and where I want to go.

Any advice for prospective LLM students? How would you recommend the Keio LLM program to the students?

My advice to prospective students is also what I ask of myself: Come with plans. Use imagination. Be brave. One year passes incredibly quickly, while Keio offers more opportunities than you could possibly experience in that time. Think about what you want from your year here—whether it is exploring Japanese culture, taking a break to rethink your life, strengthening your legal practice, or something entirely different. At the same time, learn from how others have used the program, but do not let their paths define yours. Keio offers remarkable freedom, so use your imagination to explore its resources in your own way and create an experience that is different, personal, and perhaps even exceptional. And when an idea occurs to you, do not hesitate or be afraid to try. Ask, explore, and do everything you think you can.

Looking back, I would add one thing to the advice I gave myself: trust Keio. Throughout this year, I found that whenever I was willing to think beyond the obvious, ask what was possible, and take the initiative to act, Keio responded with opportunities and support that I could not have imagined when I first arrived. So come with a plan, but leave room for the unexpected. Use your imagination, be brave enough to act—and trust Keio.

(This interview is from September 2026.)