Katherine S. Kim
Queens, New York
3L
“I knew I was going to become a lawyer when I was five years
old,” says Katherine Kim, a student in St. John’s University’s
School of Law. Possessing an innate desire to succeed in the legal
profession, Katherine has all she needs to become an outstanding
lawyer – confidence, effective communications skills and the
ability to think quickly on her toes.
“I believe law is the perfect career for me because I grew up with
the mentality that I had to do my best with whatever I had. I
believe this is the same mentality of a lawyer – he or she has to
turn any given situation in his or her client’s favor with whatever
resources or information he or she is given. I realized I was good
at doing this at a very young age.”
After graduating from Brandeis University with an undergraduate
degree in Sociology and French, Katherine started at the School of
Law in 2007. Once she began interning, she says she noticed
that only a few individuals of Asian/Pacific Islands descent were
pursuing law. A Korean-American herself, she felt a responsibility
towards her community and now works to support Asian/Pacific
Islander law students as an active member, and former Director of
Alumni Relations, of the Asian Pacific American Law Students
Association (APALSA).
“There are not that many people in law firms that look like me, and
I believe that it’s my duty to help change that. As the world
becomes more inclusive and diverse, encouragement and paying it
forward become vital to success in any profession.”
Katherine landed a prestigious summer internship at the Bank of New
York Mellon’s Institutional Services Group. She will be spending
her summer assisting the senior attorney by reviewing and analyzing
agreements in the securities department – giving her the chance to
utilize what she’s learned in law school.
When she’s not in the library tackling her law books, Katherine
will be busy planning a lineup of speakers as the Symposium Editor
of this year’s New York International Law Review. “I look forward
to coordinating the symposium, where we will invite experts on
certain legal issues to come speak to the whole school and get
involved in group discussions on various topics.”
Katherine’s proactive approach to fulfilling goals while also
helping others to achieve theirs makes it easy for her to overcome
any obstacles that stand in the way of success. “Whatever I do, I
want to inspire, to motivate and to be of use to whomever I am
hired to represent. I always want to use my abilities to the
fullest, never giving less than my best.”
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