A few years ago, you might have watched a drama called “A Love Story in Harvard.” The main characters graduated from Harvard law school and worked in Korea as lawyers. They argued the Medico Legal case and discussed about the different inter-racial differences. Their life is shown to be very gorgeous. However, the job of an international lawyer is somewhat unacquainted to us. Robert Holley is well known as an entertainer in Korea, but he is actually working as an international lawyer too. The Chung-Ang Herald (CAH) intends to listen about what is an international lawyer from him.
Article 1: Go abroad, abroad
-CAH: Many students want to be international lawyers. Could you give a correct definition of an international lawyer?
-Holley: There is no specific qualification for an international lawyer. An international lawyer is a normal lawyer, who treats legal tasks and cases relating to international situations within a domestic region and has a foreign lawyer qualification. They advise and consult firms and organizations about the laws of foreign nations, and help solve discords between two countries, such as an interracial divorce, immigration, foreign-invested companies, or a problem occurs in an open ocean. Though I have only an American lawyer qualification, I manage not only American businesses, but also other country’s business by getting help from their country’s lawyers.
Article 2: Put yourself in the other's shoes.
-CAH: I guess you have difficulties during treating cases with two or more countries in conflict due to cultural differences. What is that and how do you arbitrate that?
-Holley: Once, I took a brief of a foreign multinational doughnut company, which was about to enter Korea. The Korean person in charge wanted the doughnuts to be less sugared to make the doughnut more “Koreanization” but the doughnut company’s clerks asserted that the doughnut has to be same all over the world. They could not understand each other, so I struggled to explain their cultural differences and sense of values. Eventually, the glutinous rice doughnut was born in Korea.
Article3: A rolling stone gathers great moss.
-CAH: Korean universities and university students are very interested in law school. How will law school, for student entering in 2009, effect students who are preparing to be international lawyers?
-Holley: Above all international lawyers must have a lot of various experiences and knowledge because they treat unique cases occurring in worldwide situations. American people say that it is important to specialize in a subject, which is not connected to their occupation as a lawyer. If law schools are established in Korea, the college of law will be abolished and Korean prospective lawyers will be able to study a side subject. Therefore students can get a wider perspective. And because Korean lawyers have to compete with foreign lawyers, Korean lawyers would do better to study in a similar way to foreign lawyers.
Article 4: Give us freedom to eat Kimchi freely.
-CAH: There is an opinion that international lawyers have low effectiveness in Korea. What is required for an international lawyer to act robustly?
- Holley: Foreign lawyers can not be recognized in Korea as a formal lawyer. So they can not stand at the domestic court. They are under Korean lawyers and restricted by act areas. I hope qualification is given to foreign lawyers in Korea after a certain time has passed. In America, each state has different laws, but one state lawyer can achieve another state’s lawyer qualification. Also If opportunities to learn Korean law are established, more foreign lawyers can work in Korea freely.
Article 5: Destruct “Birds of a feather flock together.”
-CAH: To become an international lawyer, what should students do?
-Holley: International lawyers have to know the nation’s culture to understand as a member of a nation’s point of view. I have been to many countries. I made various friends and contacted diverse cultures. When I invite friends to my house, my parents would say “UN conference” because of their diverse nationality. I recommend students to be absent from school and go abroad about six month to one year.
Article 6: Do not judge a book by its cover.
-CAH: Outwardly international lawyers look very brilliant. In this reason, many students dream to be international lawyers. What do you want to say to them?
-Holley: In fact, a lawyer is not as brilliant as in the dramas. There is little private time and freedom. Of course, there are some interesting cases sometimes. If you like to study and deal with a complex problems generated between people, becoming an international lawyer is a good challenge, but do not look at only the splendid aspects.