143 Law School Graduates Appointed as New Judicial Researchers... Chonnam National University Has Most with 18

The Supreme Court announced on May 1 that 143 graduates of law schools (Law Schools) this year have been appointed as Judicial Researchers (Law Clerks).

The 143 appointees, having completed the Judicial Researcher candidate training at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, are scheduled to begin working at courts nationwide from this day. Among the new Judicial Researchers, there are 79 women (44.8%) and 64 men (55.2%). The youngest is 24 years old, and the oldest is 38 years old.

This selection was carried out by the chief judges of each high court region, in accordance with Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's policy of decentralizing judicial administration authority. The regional breakdown is as follows: Seoul High Court, 75; Daejeon High Court, 12; Daegu High Court, 7; Busan High Court, 19; Gwangju High Court, 11; and Suwon High Court, 19. By law school, Chonnam National University had the most appointees with 18, followed by Kyungpook National University with 16, Sungkyunkwan University with 15, and Ewha Womans University and Hanyang University with 11 each.

Judicial Researchers assist judges with their judicial duties by preparing various review reports, conducting research on legal principles and precedents, carrying out literature reviews including academic papers, and performing extensive investigations and research on specific cases. Among this year's appointees, three individuals with expertise in intellectual property rights will be assigned to the Patent Court.

Meanwhile, the total number of Judicial Researchers selected this year has increased compared to last year (118) and 2023 (125). This is the result of an amendment to the Judicial Researcher Regulations in January, which increased the total quota from 400 to 480.

The Supreme Court stated, "The Judicial Researcher system will help create an environment in which judges can focus their abilities on court-centered trials, thereby enhancing public trust in trials and the judiciary," and added, "By assisting judges in their judicial duties, Judicial Researchers are expected to make a substantial contribution to thorough deliberation and swift resolution of cases."