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About USC Gould
USC Gould is a top-ranked law school with a 120-year history and reputation for academic excellence. We are located on the beautiful 228-acre USC University Park Campus, just south of downtown Los Angeles.
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Academics
Learn about our interdisciplinary curriculum, experiential learning opportunities and specialized areas.
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Admissions
USC Gould helps prepare you for a stellar legal career. You can pursue a JD degree, one of our numerous graduate and international offerings, or an online degree or certificate.
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Participate in an unparalleled learning experience with diversity of people and thought. Get involved in the law school community and participate in activities that enhance your studies.
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Careers
We work closely with students, graduates and employers to support successful career goals and outcomes. Our overall placement rate is consistently strong, with 94 percent of our JD class employed within 10 months after graduation.
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Faculty
Our faculty is distinguished for its scholarship, as well as for its commitment to teaching. Our 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio creates an intimate and collegial learning environment.
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Seong Kim
USC Gould School of Law
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Lecturer in Law
Email: skim@law.usc.eduTelephone: (310) 228-6161
699 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90089-0074 USA
Last Updated: July 13, 2017
Seong Kim is a partner in the Intellectual Property and Litigation Practice Groups at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, Los Angeles (Century City) office. He also spends considerable time in the firm’s Seoul office, representing Korean companies in a variety of disputes.
Kim is known for his exceptional winning record at trials and arbitrations, having obtained judgments and settlements totaling hundreds of million dollars. Some of the largest companies around the world turn to Kim to protect their interests.
Chambers and Partners recognized Kim for his “strong track record” and for his “creative legal solutions.” Legal 500 US noted that Kim is “renowned for his skill and effectiveness.” IAM Patent 1000 recognized Kim for “his sharpened trial skills, impressive match stats and ebullient client reviews,” stating: “He is extremely efficient and resolves matters quickly, but always with an eye on quality. He provides a very high level of service.”
Kim also taught Advanced Trial Techniques as an adjunct professor at the University of California, Irvine, School of Law. He has lectured at trial technique seminars for various lawyer/bar associations in the United States, Asia and Latin America.
Kim is a contributing author of the Treatise, Trade Secret Litigation and Protection in California, published by the Intellectual Property Section of the California State Bar. He is also a member of the California State Bar's Continuing Education of the Bar, Real Property Advisory Committee.
Kim has been featured and quoted in various publications including the Daily Journal, the Los Angeles Business Journal, and the Los Angeles Times. He was also featured as a “Minority Power Broker” by Law360.
Prior to joining Sheppard Mullin, Kim was a partner of an Am-Law 100 law firm, where he served as a member of its Executive Committee, as the Head of Korea Commercial Litigation, Co-Head of the Korea Practice Group, and Co-Managing Partner of that firm’s Los Angeles and Century City offices.
FACULTY IN THE NEWS
The New York Times
January 28, 2023
Re: Jody David Armour
Professor Jody Armour was interviewed by the New York Times about the recent policy brutality incident that led to the death of Tyre Nichols. “It’s not just a Black and white issue, but a Black and blue one. And when you put on that blue uniform, it often becomes the primary identity that drowns out any other identities that might compete with it," Armour said.
RECENT SCHOLARSHIP
Robin Craig
December, 2022
"Climate Adaptation in the United States." Frontiers in Marine Science 9 (2022) December. Special Topic: Ocean Governance and Climate Adaptation: Comparing Responses, Charting Future Courses.
Scott Altman
December, 2022
"Why Parents' Interests Matter." Ethics 133 (forthcoming 2023): 271.
Jonathan Barnett
December, 2022
"The China Innovation Challenge." Center for Strategic & International Studies interview, Washington, D.C.