①Labor and social security attorneys must, with the authorization of the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, establish one labor and social security attorney's association for each prefecture by laying down bylaws.

②The purpose of a labor and social security attorney's association is to conduct affairs relating to the guidance of and liaison with its members in order to maintain the dignity of its members, improve their qualities, and improve and advance their business.

③A labor and social security attorney's association is a juridical person.

④The provisions of Articles 4 and 78 of the Act on General Incorporated Associations and General Incorporated Foundations apply mutatis mutandis to labor and social security attorney's associations.

①The bylaws of a labor and social security attorney's association must state the following matters:

②A change to the bylaws of a labor and social security attorney's association requires the authorization of the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare. However, this does not apply to a change to the bylaws relating to the location of the office or other matters specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

A labor and social security attorney's association may establish branches if necessary to achieve its purpose.

①A labor and social security attorney becomes, by operation of law, at the time of receiving registration under the provisions of Article 14-2, paragraph (1), a member of the labor and social security attorney's association established in the area of the prefecture listed in the following items, depending on the case listed in the respective items:

②Where a labor and social security attorney has received a change of registration under the provisions of Article 14-4, and the labor and social security attorney's association to which that person would belong under the provisions of the preceding paragraph if the person had received registration under the provisions of Article 14-2, paragraph (1) (hereinafter in this paragraph referred to as the "labor and social security attorney's association after the change") differs from the labor and social security attorney's association to which that person belonged when receiving that change of registration (hereinafter in this paragraph referred to as the "labor and social security attorney's association before the change"), the labor and social security attorney withdraws, by operation of law, from the labor and social security attorney's association before the change at the time of receiving that change of registration and becomes a member of the labor and social security attorney's association after the change.

③A labor and social security attorney corporation becomes, by operation of law, at the time of its establishment, a member of the labor and social security attorney's association for the location of the principal office of the labor and social security attorney corporation.

④When a labor and social security attorney corporation has established an office in the area of a prefecture in which a labor and social security attorney's association other than the labor and social security attorney's association for the location of the principal office of the labor and social security attorney corporation has been established, or has relocated any of its offices to the area of a prefecture in which a labor and social security attorney's association other than its respective affiliated labor and social security attorney's association has been established, it becomes, by operation of law, at the time of registering that fact at the new location of its office (where it has established or relocated a secondary office, the location of its principal office), a member of the labor and social security attorney's association established in the area of the prefecture in which that office (where it has established or relocated a secondary office, that secondary office) is located.

⑤When a labor and social security attorney corporation has come to have no office within the area of the prefecture in which its affiliated labor and social security attorney's association is established, due to the relocation or abolition of its offices, it withdraws, by operation of law, from that labor and social security attorney's association at the time of registering that fact at the former location (where it has relocated or abolished a secondary office, the location of its principal office).

⑥When a labor and social security attorney has come to fall under any of the items of Article 14-10, paragraph (1), that person withdraws, by operation of law, from the affiliated labor and social security attorney's association at the time of coming to fall under that item.

⑦A labor and social security attorney corporation withdraws, by operation of law, from its affiliated labor and social security attorney's association at the time of its dissolution.

A labor and social security attorney must observe the bylaws of the affiliated labor and social security attorney's association.

①A labor and social security attorney's association must register as specified by Cabinet Order.

②Matters that must be registered under the provisions of the preceding paragraph may not be asserted against a third party until after registration.

①A labor and social security attorney's association has a president, vice presidents and other officers specified in its bylaws.

②The president represents the labor and social security attorney's association and presides over its affairs.

③A vice president assists the president as specified by the president, acts on behalf of the president in the performance of the president's duties when the president is unable to act, and performs the duties of the president when the office of president is vacant.

If a labor and social security attorney's association finds that a labor and social security attorney or labor and social security attorney corporation belonging to it is likely to violate this Act, an order under this Act or the labor and social insurance laws and regulations, it may, as specified by its bylaws, call the attention of that labor and social security attorney or labor and social security attorney corporation to the matter, or recommend that it take necessary measures.

①The labor and social security attorney's associations throughout the country must, with the authorization of the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, establish the Federation by laying down bylaws.

②The purpose of the Federation is, in order to maintain the dignity of the members of labor and social security attorney's associations, improve their qualities and improve and advance their business, to conduct, in addition to affairs relating to the guidance of and liaison with labor and social security attorney's associations and their members and affairs relating to the registration of labor and social security attorneys, examination administration and representation business examination administration.

The bylaws of the Federation must state the following matters: