New Korea Law Center Research Fellows

The Korea Law Center is delighted to welcome two new Research Fellows, Laurance Kim and Gloria Yang, who joined the team this fall semester. Laurance and Gloria bring strong academic backgrounds and diverse personal and professional interests that will enrich the Center's research and programming.

Gloria Yang is a 3L J.D. student at UC Irvine Law. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and is proud to now call herself an Anteater. This past summer, Gloria served as a law clerk in the Gang Unit at the Orange County District Attorney's Office, an experience that reinforced her commitment to pursuing a career in criminal law. In her free time, she enjoys staying active and spending time outdoors, including running with friends, camping, and being with her family. Gloria is excited to contribute to the Korea Law Center beginning this fall.

Laurance Kim is a 2L J.D. student at UC Irvine Law. He graduated from the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. During his 1L summer, Laurance worked at Ro & You LLP on workers' compensation defense matters. Surrounded by a supportive team and strong mentorship from exceptionally skilled attorneys, he gained hands-on experience by attending depositions, analyzing medical records, and learning the different negotiation styles in legal practice. Outside of law school, Laurance enjoys training Jiu Jitsu and playing basketball.

We are excited to welcome Laurance and Gloria to the Korea Law Center team and look forward to the valuable contributions they will make to the Center.

Research Fellow Alumni Spotlight:

Kate Oh

Kate Shinhae Oh is a 2022 graduate of UC Irvine Law School and an associate at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP. Kate currently practices in the firm’s Litigation Department, focusing on complex commercial litigation, securities litigation, class action, and appellate briefing.

During law school, Kate served as a judicial extern to Justice Raymond J. Ikola of California Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Three, and was an associate editor in UC Irvine Law Review and UC Irvine Journal of International, Transnational, and Comparative Law. Prior to attending law school, she worked as a reporter at a national daily newspaper in South Korea, where she covered South Korea and U.S. politics, among others. 

Kate joined the Korea Law Center as a Research Fellow in 2020. Some of her favorite memories from her time with KLC include planning and participating in events such as the Fireside Chat with communication expert Jessica Chen, the KLC Chuseok Picnic, and a visit to Judge Richard Lee’s chambers with the Korean Visiting Scholars. Having spent most of her prior education and career in Korea, she found these events especially meaningful—they offered a chance to strengthen her ties with Korean legal professionals even as she pursued a legal career in the U.S.

2025 California Asian Pacific American

Bar Association Conference

The California Asian Pacific American Bar Association (Cal-APABA), which represents the interests of Asian Pacific American bar organizations and attorneys across California, will host its 2025 Annual Conference in Orange County from September 5–7. Cal-APABA is dedicated to promoting equality, advancing issues that impact the Asian Pacific American Community, and enhancing the professional development of its members.

Conference registration is now open, and students are encouraged to apply for the student scholarship program to support their participation.

The Korea Law Center would also like to extend warm congratulations to the UC Irvine Law Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA), which has been recognized as the APALSA/APILSA of the Year by Cal-APABA! We are proud of UC Irvine Law's APALSA for this well-deserved recognition.

We would love to connect with you! If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to the Korea Law Center at klc@law.uci.edu.

The Korea Law Center is supported by charitable gifts and contributions, if you would like to donate to the center you can do so here: Give to UCI.