Earlier this summer, Kim stepped into the role of Legal Counsel at Legal Aid Ontario’s General Counsel Office, and he says that keeping an open mind throughout his studies is what helped him turn struggles into successes. “My worst grades at law school came from a course in contract law, but now I practice contract law. This is all because I was open to learning.”
Throughout his education and work experience, Kim’s interests remained steadfast and focused on critical issues in the areas of social justice and human rights. Through promoting labour rights and peace movements as a student in South Korea, volunteering for archives concerning same sex marriage rights, and working at the Indigenous Human Rights clinic as a Summer Student Fellow, Kim’s interests continually aligned with human rights, and the stories that accompany this form of justice.
It was when he was completing his master’s thesis at York University on the Communist judiciary (the people’s court in China, North Korea and the Soviet Union) that he discovered his interest in the legal system.
He explored this path further by connecting his love of history to archival studies and how it plays a role in protecting historical events of an entire community. As a student at the University of Toronto in 2017, he volunteered for The ArQuives, Canada’sLGBTQ2+ archives, to arrange and describe records about same sex marriage litigation. Later, during his engagement in archival volunteering at The ArQuives, Kim saw first-hand how the historical records had been underrepresented and worked to preserve this history through more accurate record keeping. It was roles such as this that prepared him for a position articling with Legal Aid Ontario, first as a student and then accepting a permanent position following the completion of his Juris Doctor and articling.
“At one of the biggest law schools in Canada, I saw many opportunities to communicate with different students and professors. An open attitude enriches this experience on a fundamental level,” shared Moo-Jun Kim.
Legal Aid Ontario assists marginalized individuals across the province to access much-needed legal services. Kim is proud of his time working with this important organization and elated to start his post-graduate career with them.
When he entered law school, Kim was concerned with how diverse legal practices would connect. What he discovered was how the faculty and students at uOttawa come together with their many diverse interests through open and respectful dialogue. The result is learning and growing together. It is this approach that Kim believes acts as the foundation that sets uOttawa apart and prepares students for life after graduation.