Law Firm Daeryuk Aju, "Communication Skills That AI Cannot Replace Are Important"

"I believe that communication skills and a sense of responsibility toward clients, which AI cannot replace, are important for lawyers."

Lawyers in charge of recruiting new lawyers at the law firm DaeRyukAju. From the left, Lawyers Park Sang-soon, Kim Ki-il, and Lee Chan-hee.

Park Sang-soon (53, Judicial Research and Training Institute Class 35), the lawyer in charge of hiring new lawyers at Law Firm Daeryuk Aju (Chief Lawyer Lee Gyu-cheol), described the ideal candidate for Daeryuk Aju as follows.

Lawyer Kim Ki-il (45, Bar Exam 1st class) said, "About 2 to 3 years ago, during an internship period, several dozen interns gathered in one place and introduced themselves to break the ice. Most interns introduced their names and schools, but one student who introduced himself in a particularly cheerful way left a lasting impression," adding, "The ability to leave a strong impression on people is also important." That intern is currently working as a lawyer at Daeryuk Aju.

This year, Daeryuk Aju hired a total of six new lawyers, including three men and three women. The average age of the new lawyers (at the time of joining) is 28.8 years old, ranging from 25 to 32 years old. Their majors include Business Administration, Public Administration, and Political Science and International Relations.

[Image source=Beomryul Newspaper]

Daeryuk Aju conducts both pre-employment for current students through an internship program and open recruitment for graduates after passing the bar exam. The internship is held twice a year for two weeks each, in summer and winter, targeting second-year law school students.

During the first week of the internship, lectures and assignments are conducted. The lectures cover various topics such as △Civil Litigation △Criminal Litigation △Corporate Advisory △IP △ESG △Rehabilitation and Bankruptcy. Corporate advisory lectures, which are difficult to learn in law school, are popular. Lawyer Park, who is in charge of the corporate advisory lectures, said, "We cover practical content such as how advisory services are actually conducted and what points to be cautious about."

The type and format of assignments vary by lecture. Lawyer Park hinted, "For the corporate advisory lecture, we prepare 4 to 5 questions at a difficulty level that law students can solve, based on the advisory work performed by teams during the semester."

In the second week, students volunteer for their desired teams and experience the frontline work of the team’s lawyers. Daeryuk Aju’s specialized teams include △Construction and Real Estate Team △Civil Litigation Team △Criminal Litigation Team △Prosecutorial Investigation Response Team △Fair Trade Team △International Transaction Team, among others. According to each team’s curriculum, interns can perform actual lawyer duties such as accompanying trials.

Lawyers in charge of recruiting new lawyers at DaeRyuk Aju Law Firm. From the left, lawyers Park Sang-soon, Kim Ki-il, and Lee Chan-hee.

If assigned to the Criminal Litigation Team, interns participate in client meetings and interviews. Lawyer Lee Chan-hee (39, 4th class) said, "When a partner lawyer consults, interns sometimes write review opinions based on the consultation content to identify issues." This is to evaluate whether they can quickly grasp the relevant issues based on what they learned in law school.

Lawyers in charge of hiring new lawyers at Law Firm Daeryuk Aju. From left: Park Sang-soon, Kim Ki-il, and Lee Chan-hee.

The hiring lawyers at Daeryuk Aju described the firm as "a law firm where you can realize your own intentions," "a young and dynamic law firm," and "a law firm that actively responds to change."

Lawyer Lee said, "Daeryuk Aju provides an environment where even new lawyers can comfortably express their opinions." In fact, Daeryuk Aju will implement a study abroad system starting next year, reflecting the opinions of associate lawyers. In addition, new systems such as benefits for family events and transfers to specialized teams were established based on suggestions from new lawyers.

The starting salary for new lawyers is among the highest in law firms of similar size. Various welfare benefits are also provided, including △provision of work tablets △welfare points twice a year △support for dinner expenses and night taxi fares △support for education and training expenses △special leave and vacation expenses for long-term employees.

By reporters Ahn Hyun and Yoo Ji-in, The Law Times

※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.