Korea University School of Law

Korea University School of Law
Name	Korea University School of Law
Native name	고등교육법에 의한
Established	1905
Parent	Korea University
Type	Private
City	Seongbuk District, Seoul
Country	South Korea

Korea University School of Law is a professional law school located in the Seongbuk District of Seoul, South Korea. It is part of Korea University and traces institutional roots to early 20th‑century legal education alongside contemporaries such as Yonsei University and Seoul National University. The school has been influential in producing judicial, legislative, and corporate leaders active in institutions like the Supreme Court of Korea, National Assembly, and major chaebol such as Samsung and Hyundai Motor Company.

History

The school’s antecedents emerged during the Korean Empire period and the Japanese colonial era, contemporaneous with reforms following the Russo-Japanese War and the promulgation of laws influenced by Meiji Constitution‑era modernization. After liberation in 1945 and the Korean War (1950–1953), the institution reconstituted legal training to address postwar reconstruction, the enactment of the 1948 Constitution, and subsequent legal reforms. During the authoritarian years of the Park Chung-hee administration and the later democratization movements associated with the June Struggle (1987), alumni and faculty contributed to constitutional litigation before the Constitutional Court of Korea and legislative initiatives in the National Assembly. In the 21st century, reforms aligning with international standards such as those exemplified by the Harvard Law School and Yale Law School models influenced curriculum changes and the introduction of the professional J.D. system.

Campus and Facilities

The law school is situated on Korea University’s main campus in Seongbuk District, adjacent to landmarks like Anam Station and near districts such as Jongno and Dongdaemun District. Facilities include moot courtrooms modeled after venues like the International Court of Justice chamber, specialized law libraries housing collections on comparative law referencing works from Napoleonic Code commentary to analyses of the Civil Code (South Korea), and research centers with archival materials on events such as the March 1st Movement. The campus shares resources with the wider university, including humanities and social science institutes that collaborate with entities like the Korea Development Institute.

Academic Programs

Programs span professional and graduate degrees, incorporating J.D., LL.M., and Ph.D. tracks. Coursework covers fields linked to statutes and cases such as the Civil Act (South Korea), the Criminal Act (South Korea), administrative litigation arising from disputes with agencies like the Ministry of Justice (South Korea), and international subjects referencing instruments such as the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and arbitration regimes like the International Chamber of Commerce. Comparative law offerings examine jurisprudence from jurisdictions including United States Supreme Court decisions, Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch doctrine, and Japanese Constitution interpretations.

Faculty and Research

Faculty include former judges of the Supreme Court of Korea, scholars who have held positions at institutions such as Columbia Law School and University of Cambridge, and researchers active in topics related to the International Criminal Court, World Trade Organization, and transnational litigation exemplified by cases before the International Court of Justice. Research output addresses constitutional review of statutes, administrative adjudication paralleling work at the European Court of Human Rights, corporate governance in firms like Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Heavy Industries, and regulatory responses to financial crises similar to the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Professors publish in journals comparable to Harvard Law Review‑style venues and collaborate with policy institutes including the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

Admissions and Student Body

Admission is competitive, drawing applicants from secondary institutions such as Korea University High School and nationwide prep programs similar to those feeding Seoul National University School of Law and Yonsei Law School. Selection criteria historically combined bar examination performance analogous to the former Unified Bar Examination (South Korea) and, since legal education reform, LSAT‑style assessments, interviews, and records of public service including pro bono work with organizations like Korea Legal Aid Corporation. The student body engages in exchanges with partner schools such as Peking University and University of California, Berkeley.

Clinics, Centers, and Publications

Clinical programs offer practice in litigation, mediation influenced by procedures used in ICTY‑era processes, and public interest law serving clients through partnerships with Korea Legal Aid Foundation. Research centers focus on comparative constitutionalism, international arbitration akin to cases under the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and corporate compliance reflecting standards from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The school publishes law reviews and journals that examine precedent from courts like the United Kingdom Supreme Court and landmark decisions from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Alumni have held positions such as justices of the Supreme Court of Korea, members of the National Assembly, and executives at conglomerates including Samsung Group and SK Group. Faculty and former graduates have served as ministers in cabinets alongside figures from the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations, litigated in cases before the Constitutional Court of Korea, and written on comparative matters referencing scholars at University of Oxford and Stanford Law School.

Category:Law schools in South Korea Category:Korea University