Please introduce yourself and describe your current job.
I am a US attorney (Virginia-licensed) currently working at Kim & Chang based in Seoul. My practice areas include Health, and International Trade and Customs.
How did you prepare for and achieve this current position?
I interned for a judge during law school, and worked for a small litigation boutique firm during law school and thereafter for the same firm upon getting my law license. I then opened my own law firm in 2007, and continued doing litigation work until 2016, when I came to Korea to work at Kim & Chang. I was honored to be appointed a Substitute Judge in 2012, and served in that capacity until the end of the term.
How did Mason help you in your career?
GMU School of Law, in addition to the law degree necessary for my profession, provided me with my internship opportunity at Fairfax County Circuit Court through the Legal Clinic program. And I began working for one of my adjunct professors at his boutique law firm as a student law clerk, which then turned into a full time position as a lawyer upon graduation and passage of the Virginia State Bar. Due to the school being relatively new, and our graduating class being relatively small and local, the alumni network was very helpful in getting established in the Northern Virginia legal market. Also, GMU School of Law was designed for students who already have full time jobs, which made it much easier to take classes while holding down full-time employment. Also, as a resident of Virginia, the tuition was unbelievably lower than the other area schools.
What advice do you have for our Mason Korea students who might be interested in studying law?
Law school is a professional/trade school, and therefore, the networking opportunities offered at the school were just as important as the academic opportunities offered at the school. I would encourage students to attend any such networking events provided by the school. I also benefited greatly by volunteering at the law school after becoming a lawyer in a variety of roles, where I developed great friendships with area colleagues that I met serving in that capacity; I encourage recent graduates to actively participate in such opportunities as well.