Many Korean students entered law school for professional education – to become lawyers. Many now find themselves halfway through their education. Currently, the number of Koreans enrolled in law schools around New York is almost ten each at Columbia, NYU, Yeshiva University, and Fordham, but a huge 70 students at Brooklyn Law School.
But in each school, between 20 and 40 percent of all Korean students, in their first or second years, drop their education for a variety of reasons.
Brooklyn Law student Mr. Kim, a sophomore, said, “I am thinking of giving up school halfway, because it’s so hard to compete with native English speakers – Americans and second generation Korean-Americans. Everything is in English; all of our texts and reports.”
Mr. Kim, who has been in America for eight years, said, “Even though a student might graduate from a big-name law school, and pass the bar exam, company interviews can still be a problem, because of English.”
Mr. Yu, a sophomore, added, “Law school is so difficult—with its focus on writing and reading—for non-native speakers. The idea that one can simply study hard and pass law school is just an illusion.”
The Korean preference for specific—well-known—American law schools draws many foreign students wishing to train in international law. But they are faced with many problems in class and not just in terms of classroom study. Students must graduate in the top 10 percent in order to land a job in one of the city’s major law firms. This realization is causing many Koreans simply to quit. Even in Korea, law firms have begun seeking people with American experience. So, since many students recognize that they cannot do well here, cannot get a job here, or even in Korea, they are dropping out of school.
The Chairman of the Korean Lawyer’s Association, Mr. Pae Mun-kyong, said, “Foreign students are not only concerned with graduating from law school, but also with gaining a clear picture of their goal. They must thoroughly investigate the entire system, including the conditions which await them after graduation. They should only decide to enter law school once they are fully informed in all of these matters. This way, there is less danger of dropping out.”
