In-House Counsel (Japan)

$140–150/hrrate as listed

Mercor is recruiting in-house counsel practising in Japan to benchmark two AI platforms on real questions of Japanese law, scoring both against a standardized rubric. The engagement starts at roughly 10 hours with observed pay of $140–150/hr and potential for continued work.

Summary, eligibility guidance and screening preparation are prepared by Sidequest from the platform's posting. Check the source listing before applying.

The work

You receive a set of prompts covering practical questions of Japanese law — the kind an in-house lawyer actually fields, weighted toward commercial and contract matters. You run each prompt through two separate LLM platforms, read both outputs closely, and score them against a rubric the client supplies. Each evaluation closes with concise written feedback: where the answer was legally wrong, where it was right but incomplete, where it cited or paraphrased authority that does not exist, and which of the two responses a practising lawyer would rather rely on.

The useful judgment here is not stylistic. It is spotting the confident answer that misstates a Companies Act provision, the response that applies a common-law framework to a civil-law question, or the analysis that reads well in English but would not survive review by Japanese counsel. Consistency matters as much as insight — the client is building a benchmark, so your scores need to mean the same thing on evaluation forty as they did on evaluation four.

What the screening looks for

Mercor's process is AI-led and moves quickly. Expect an interview that probes verifiable specifics: where you practised in-house, what industry, what kinds of contracts and regulatory questions crossed your desk, and how you handled a matter where the law was genuinely unsettled. Follow-up questions go deeper rather than wider, so vague answers about "general corporate work" tend to stall. Writing quality is assessed directly, since written feedback is the deliverable.

Logistics

Fully remote and asynchronous; you choose your hours within task deadlines
Initial scope around 10 hours, with strong potential for additional batches
Observed pay of $140–150/hr — a band reported for this listing, not a guarantee
All work is covered by NDA
Working comfort in both Japanese and English is expected, as prompts and rubric may span both

What they look for

5+ years as in-house legal counsel practising in Japan
Strong command of Japanese commercial and contract law
Precise written communication in English and Japanese
Ability to apply a standardized scoring rubric consistently
Independent work to deadlines with minimal supervision
Comfort identifying legal errors and fabricated citations in AI output

Before you apply

Would you pass this screen?

Drawn from what this listing actually requires. Answered in your browser — nothing is sent to us, and we do not store your answers.

Have you worked as in-house legal counsel (not external counsel, not legal operations, not compliance officer) for 5 or more years total?
In-house counsel experience · required
Have you practiced Japanese commercial and/or contract law specifically, as part of your in-house role?
Japanese law expertise · required
Are you legally permitted to work (either in Japan or remotely for a Japan-based or Japan-focused organization under the terms of this contract)?
Current work authorization in Japan or legal basis to work · required
Can you read Japanese law texts, contracts, and court decisions in the original language, or do you rely entirely on translation?
Japanese language proficiency · preferred

0 of 4 answered

Included with this listing

Interview prep — 12 questions

Matched to what this platform's screening actually measures. Answer each out loud in 60–90 seconds: claim → concrete example → implication.

What it tests: Verifying the 5+ years in-house counsel experience claimed, and whether the candidate's actual practice was genuine counsel work (not paralegal, not external firm) in a Japanese legal context.
A strong answer: Name specific companies, state the total years in-house, and describe the actual counsel responsibilities: contract review, regulatory compliance, litigation management, or board-level advice. The detail and consistency should match a resume that can be verified.
Where people lose it: Conflating external firm time with in-house time, or claiming 'counsel' for paralegal or compliance coordinator roles. Vague timeline ('about five years') without company names or clear employment dates raises verification red flags.