[Law Firm Now] Law Firm YK Expands Practical Training and Internships for Law School Students in Various Regions

Three Meetings Held Between January and February with Law School Deans

At the 3rd Law School Deans Invitational Meeting held on the 2nd at the YK Law Firm Gangnam Main Office, attendees are taking a commemorative photo. From the left: Seunghyun Kim, Partner Attorney at YK Law Firm; Hakhoon Kim, Chief Attorney; Gwanho Song, Dean of Dong-A University Law School; Kyuyeong Jeong, Chief Attorney; Youngjin Jeong, Dean of Inha University Law School; Kyunghoon Kang, Chief Attorney; Younghwa Son, Vice Dean of Inha University Law School; Heeseong Lee, Advisory Committee Member; Gukhyeon Lee, Vice Dean of Chungbuk National University Law School; Inseon Jo, Partner Attorney. Photo by YK Law Firm

Law Firm YK (Chief Attorneys Kang Kyung-hoon and Kim Beom-han) has decided to actively recruit outstanding talents by expanding practical training and internship opportunities for law school students in various regions.

Through this initiative, Law Firm YK plans to actively attract excellent talents from regional law schools while contributing to the development of regional law schools and the enhancement of the rights and interests of local legal consumers.

Law Firm YK recently held three meetings with the Association of Law Schools (Chairman Lee Sang-kyung, Dean of Seoul National University of Science and Technology Law School) and the deans of law schools at Konkuk University, Kyung Hee University, Dong-A University, Sogang University, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Ajou University, Yeungnam University, Ewha Womans University, Inha University, Jeonbuk National University, and Chungbuk National University (in alphabetical order) to gather opinions on the desirable direction of law firms for future-oriented legal professional training and industry-academia cooperation, the firm announced on the 7th. The meetings were held three times at YK’s main office in Gangnam on January 24, 31, and February 2.

The meetings were organized to discuss solutions to the increasing phenomenon of law school students retaking the entrance exam ("반수") each year, the movement of students aiming to enter top-tier law schools to join large law firms, and the problematic hiring practices of these large law firms that exacerbate this trend.

At the third meeting held on the 2nd, attendees included Song Kwan-ho, Dean of Dong-A University Law School; Jung Young-jin, Dean of Inha University Law School; Son Young-hwa, Vice Dean of Inha University Law School; Lee Guk-hyun, Dean of Chungbuk National University Law School; and YK representatives Kang Kyung-hoon, Lee Jin-ho, Jung Kyu-young, Kim Hak-hoon, Partner Attorney Kim Seung-hyun, and Advisor Lee Hee-sung.

During the meeting, the law school deans expressed their hope that YK, with its nationwide network, would play a role in expanding practical training and recruitment opportunities for regional law schools, and contribute through joint academic conferences and sponsorships.

YK has 27 offices nationwide, including in Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongnam, Daegu, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Daejeon, and Chungnam. Among the top 10 large law firms, YK is the only one operating a regional system by area.

In response, YK promised to further expand practical training opportunities for law students by utilizing regional branch offices and to provide systematic and practice-oriented educational programs to assist them.

Kang Kyung-hoon, Chief Attorney of Law Firm YK, said, "We are currently hiring graduates from law schools nationwide without discrimination, and we hope to nurture and actively recommend even more outstanding talents in the future."

He also stated, "As one of the top 10 law firms, we will actively consider hosting and sponsoring academic conferences to demonstrate our sense of responsibility, and we will continue to cooperate with regional law schools."

A YK official said, "We plan to help nurture excellent prospective legal professionals regionally by utilizing a system that provides uniform legal services not only through the Seoul main office but also through regional branch offices, a first in the law firm industry. The agreement reached at the meeting with law school deans to actively expand practical training and internship programs at YK is expected to significantly contribute to protecting the rights and interests of local legal consumers."

Last year, YK recorded total sales of 80.3 billion KRW (based on actual receipts), a more than 50% increase compared to the previous year (53.2 billion KRW), entering the top 10 law firms.

At the first roundtable meeting with law school deans held on the 31st of last month at the main office of YK Law Firm in Gangnam, attendees are taking a commemorative photo. From the left: Ji-eun Lee, Associate Dean of Kyungpook National University Law School; Bok-hyun Eom, Professor at Kyungpook National University Law School; Chang-hyun Lee, Associate Dean of Sogang University Law School; Dong-seop Kim, Senior Attorney at YK Law Firm; Sang-han Wang, Dean of Sogang University Law School; Kyu-young Jeong, Managing Attorney; Jung-hoon Park, Dean of Kyung Hee University Law School; Sang-kyung Lee, Dean of University of Seoul (Chairman of the Association of Law Schools); Kyung-hoon Kang, Managing Attorney; Dae-sik Hong, Professor at Sogang University Law School; Myung Jang, Professor at Sogang University Law School; Yoon-cheol Choi, Dean of Konkuk University Law School; Jin-ho Lee, Managing Attorney; Myung-ki Kim, Secretary General of the Association of Law Schools; Hee-sung Lee, Advisory Committee Member. Photo by YK Law Firm

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