Lawyers with Gong-Gam, South Korea’s first and only nonprofit public interest lawyers’ group, visited USC Law Oct. 27.
Three of Gong-Gam’s five attorneys – So Ra-mi, Kim Young-Soo and Youm Hyung-Guk – met with students, along with Jun Young-Joo, a staff member 
in charge of publicity, and fellow Kim Mira. K.S. Park, a law professor at Korea University who advises Gong-Gam, translated for the group.
in charge of publicity, and fellow Kim Mira. K.S. Park, a law professor at Korea University who advises Gong-Gam, translated for the group. Gong-Gam opened its doors in January 2004 as a part of Korea’s The Beautiful Foundation, a nonprofit that seeks to promote philanthropy in the country and empower the underprivileged and other nonprofits.
According to Young-Soo, about 30 organizations applied for services when Gong-Gam launched. Ten were selected based on specific criteria, including the merits and social importance of their programs.
“As we really worked as general counsel in those organizations, we took on substantive work as well,” Young-Soo said through Park. “The practice areas of those organizations became our practice areas, too, essentially.” Gong-Gam’s areas of practice are: women, headed by Ra-mi; people with disabilities, led by Hyung-Guk; migrants and refugees, poverty and welfare, and public interest law in general. Young-Soo deals with local governance issues.
There are about 6,000 lawyers in South Korea, which has a population of 47 million, Park said. Fewer than 100 practice public interest law, and only the five with Gong-Gam practice without government assistance.
the five with Gong-Gam practice without government assistance.The group provides legal advice to more than 200 non-governmental organizations and provides legal training sessions. Gong-Gam lawyers also file lawsuits; conduct research on legal systems and policies; and develop programs for public interest lawyering and mediate for public interest organizations.
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