Lewis Offers Presentations at Several Korean Universities

Jo Ellen Lewis, professor of practice, recently gave presentations on Washington University Law's clinical education and professional practice programs to faculty and graduate law students at Korea University and Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea. Lewis, director of the Legal Practice Program, explained the history of such programs at Washington University Law, including the variety of clinical opportunities currently available for students, both national and international. She emphasized that such programs are wonderful vehicles for teaching students the essential professional skills of ethics and commitment to service. 

Faculty and students at Korea University and Seoul National University are among the first in South Korea to explore and form clinical education and professional practice programs.  This past spring, the first class of graduate law students matriculated at Korea University and Seoul National University; prior to March 2009, a law degree was solely an undergraduate degree in South Korea. 

Professor Nam-guen Yoon, a former judge in South Korea, is the new director of the Global Legal Clinic at Korea University, which officially opened in February 2009. Yoon, along with Professor Nohyoung Park, who has guest taught at Washington University Law, hosted Lewis’ visit.  Young Sun Bang, a J.D. student at Washington University Law, and alumnus of Korea University, was instrumental in introducing Lewis to Professors Yoon and Park.

Lewis also conducted a three-day workshop at Seoul National University for law faculty and deans from several law schools in South Korea. That workshop focused on teaching legal writing, a new requirement for a graduate law degree in South Korea. 

Additionally, Lewis visited Yonsei University. An alumnus of Washington University Law, Professor Jongkhab Na, J.S.D., hosted Lewis at Yonsei University, where he is a faculty member. Current Washington University Law students, Jeehye You, J.S.D. candidate, and Jaewon Chang, J.D. candidate, also visited with Lewis at Yonsei University.