Optically active N-(L-menthoxycarbonylmethyl)maleimide (MGMI; M(1)) was radically and anionically copolymerized with N-phenylmaleimide (PhMI; M(2)) or N-benzylmaleimide (BZMI; M(2)), in benzene at 60 degrees C and toluene at 0 degrees C, respectively. The monomer reactivity ratios (r(1),r(2)) were calculated. In both the radical and anionic copolymerization systems, relationships between the specific rotations and the content (wt%) of MGMI in the copolymers gave a deviation from a straight line connecting 0 degrees with [alpha](D) of the pure homopolymer. In anionic copolymerizations, there was the possibility of occurrences of an asymmetric induction into the copolymer main chain and an asymmetric perturbation of the side-chain chromophores, judging from the chiroptical properties of model compounds. The circular dichroism (c.d.) spectra of the copolymers obtained with radical and anionic initiators were different. This suggests that the main chains of the respective copolymers contain different conformational structures.