Congratulations on joining Reed Smith for your second summer program! Can you share what you have been up to since you were with us last year?
This past year, I've been focused on gaining practical experiences to hone my analytical and legal writing skills. Last fall, I interned at a hedge fund, drafting legal documents and negotiating contracts with third-party vendors. This spring, I interned at the Law Society Pro Bono Services in Singapore, conducting legal research and drafting memoranda and opinions on criminal matters. I spent my childhood traveling throughout Asia with my family, but it was my first time working in Singapore. I learned a lot from operating under a completely different jurisdiction and collaborating with legal professionals trained outside of the U.S. I really enjoyed my experience there and the incredible food scene (a Michelin-starred meal for under $2!).
You have a very rich and unique background, graduating from West Point and then spending five years as an intelligence officer in the Army before going to business school and then to law school. What is the most vivid memory or takeaway you have from your time in the military?
One of my most proud and challenging moments in the Army was completing Ranger School, which is known to be one of the most challenging military schools in the world. It is a tortuous 61-day combat leadership course where one-third of participants drop out or fail by the end of the first week. Ranger School tested my mental stamina, physical endurance, and grit. Also, the school is designed for combat arms soldiers, so it was uncommon for a Military Intelligence Officer (a non-combat arms soldier) like me to attend this training. I vividly recall a six-hour patrol, chest-deep in a sweltering Florida swamp, while carrying a 105-pound rucksack and a 27-pound machine gun. It was six hours of pure misery and seeing water moccasins swimming next to me made it even worse. After spending 200+ sleep-deprived, hungry, and gruesome days and nights, and losing 50+ pounds, I became a U.S. Army Ranger. From this experience, I took away the importance of never quitting.
Can you share with us your heritage as an Asian American and how it has influenced your life?
I was born in Seoul and my family immigrated to San Francisco when I was eight. Like most immigrant families in the 90s, we came to America with the hope of achieving the American Dream. In Seoul, as a seven-year old, I attended free English classes hosted by a West Point graduate at a U.S. military base. When I became a naturalized U.S. citizen in my freshman year in high school, I set an ambitious goal to apply to West Point and to serve as an Officer in the U.S. Army. Over time, I had developed a deep appreciation for the U.S. military for their presence in South Korea after the Korean War. When I told my parents about wanting to apply to West Point, my parents were not thrilled. It was during the height of the Iraq War and most Korean immigrants felt that the mandatory military service in Korea was to be avoided, so one should not voluntarily work a high-risk, low-paying job. As I look back at my career, there were many unknowns that came before me. However, one thing was clear: I wanted to give back to a country that has given so much to me and my family.
As previously mentioned, this is your second summer program at Reed Smith. Last year, you were the 1L Diversity Fellow in the San Francisco office. What made you choose to return to our firm?
I was drawn to Reed Smith for its 1L Diversity Fellowship and the firm’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. It was a valuable opportunity to spend seven weeks with Reed Smith and three weeks with McKesson Corporation’s Legal Department. The summer internship gave me a chance to work on a variety of projects covering multiple areas of law, including litigation, transactional work, commercial contracts, and compliance and regulatory counseling. Upon completion of the summer program, I decided to not participate in the on-campus recruiting process at Berkeley because I knew Reed Smith is where I want to begin my legal career.
In studying to become an attorney, what kind of difficulties have you faced related to your background as both a veteran and/or an Asian American?
The biggest difficulty was getting used to the amount of reading and writing the law school requires. I think that was regardless of my cultural and professional background, which I believe serves more as an asset vs. source of difficulty. Serving in the military and growing up as an Asian American immigrant have broadened my perspectives and understanding of humanity, and I believe my diverse experiences will pay dividends in the future.
