Alumni Recommendation
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Eun Byul Im
I did not start this program as a law student or someone who was majoring in science or technology. Instead, as I studied abroad from my middle to high school, I was really attracted by the fact that I can get to learn about US Laws as well as the Korean legal system and intellectual property rights (IPRS).
During the classes of this course, I focused on making my own notes to make sure that I fully understand everything. Making your own notes will certainly help you later when you go over the materials or when you prepare for the exams. I also did not hesitate to ask professors for help if there was anything confusing while studying.
Studying for the bar exam is such lonely process of being by yourself. You should not hesitate to ask professors for help. I would also highly recommend you to make a study group to share information and to meet people. In addition to these, make sure to get the hang of using the IRAC (Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion) method when writing. Knowing the IRAC format or some common sentence structures will help you in the future as they can be utilized in many cases. One last thing I would like to say is that you should not try too hard to reduce your anxiety as the exam date approaches. It is totally natural to feel anxious and worried!
My plan for the future is, in the short run, to build more of my career on legal work as a lawyer, and after that, I would like to contribute to the society with what I have. As these are just plans in the end, I will keep on doing my best to steadily and consistently build up on these plans in the future. 
PARK JEONG CHOUL
I’m currently doing patents related work that deal with the fields of technology and law. The fact that the majority of the work that I am doing is related to claims and lawsuit raised in the United States really got me interested in US Federal Laws, so I felt the need of systematic and professional learning on the field of law.
Then I had an opportunity to apply for this dual degree course, which allowed me to study while working at the same time and to have a qualification for the bar exam as well.
Despite the worries I had at the beginning, I could successfully complete the course thanks to efficient time management. I was not feeling great about not being able to spend much time with my family, but at the same time, I thought it would be also meaningful to show my son how hard I was working towards the goal. For this reason, I tried to study at home with my son, and I also did not forget to spend time with my wife. It is completely natural for you to feel uneasy and anxious as you study, but you should not stop believing in yourself and should be regular and consistent in studying. As you keep building these positive habits, you will find yourself at a higher place and good results will follow.
Up until now, I have been building personal expertise and knowledge on studies of law through the bar exams. From this time forth, I will focus more on striving to contribute to the society and the company I am working for.
Dongho Shin
As I spent time working at a patent office without having any related certificates or licenses, I felt the need for more than just a performance, and that is when I started to think that being qualified as a US attorney would be helpful.
I first heard about this dual degree course after completing the Bachelor of Laws as I was thinking about my future career. I was really impressed by the fact that this course would allow me to study and work at the same time, and to complete master’s degrees in the two top schools.
The most difficult thing about completing this course was to spare my time for studying. As I was required to spend quite some time on working by the company that I had been working for, it was not easy for me to have spare time solely devoted for studying. It would have been impossible to study if it was not for my family and colleagues who really understood my situation and tried to help me. In addition, studying with others who are also preparing for the exam was helping as there were limitations to studying by myself.
Currently, I am moving on to the next chapter of my life, where I am trying to build my own long-term business model with the career I have been building up as a US attorney. The model may not be in its complete form yet, but it is certainly on its way to become one. My final destination or my wish is to produce outcome that can inspire others who are interested in the same field.
Kihyuk Ko
When I was working at a company, my role was to deal with purchasing of necessary parts of power plant.
During the work, I encountered many limitations as a non-lawyer in the process of negotiating with lawyers from all around the world, and this is when I was first introduced to this course.
One advantage of working and studying at the same time is that I can use time more efficiently and that I can get an opportunity to apply what I learned to the actual work. Yet it was unfortunate that I could not spend time on things other than work and studying. If it had not been for my colleagues and family who helped me spend time on studying during off-hours, I would have never been able to both receive a degree and pass the bar exam.
Passing the bar exam felt like I had just achieved everything, but at the same time, I was aware that it was just the beginning. As I am now officially qualified to be called an ‘expert’ in something, I will do my best contribute to other areas that are in need of my expertise.
Young Jin Yun
As I was working for a company, I came to realize the importance of knowing the latest trend and developing professionalism. Then I was introduced to this course, which I found really impressive because I could both work and study at the same time throughout the course, and as I could also receive degrees from the two internationally famed universities.
However, doing both ? working and doing the dual degree program ? at the same time required a lot of effort, and it certainly was mentally demanding. I would describe this course as a two-year long term marathon race, so I had to manage the time effectively and relieve stress by listening to quite music or doing some stretching. These small things certainly helped me both mentally and physically.
My short-term goal for now is to contribute to firms that are in need of professional knowledge on US Laws, and to analyze relevant case laws in the US so that I can apply them to patent applications or other cases in Korea. In the long term, I am planning to build my career as a US attorney through overseas training, specifically focusing on the career as an expert on patent work.
Richard Jeong Hong
It feels like just yesterday I started to dream of becoming an expert of IP Law as I studied both Northwestern University LLM course, one of the top tiers in the United States, and the MIP course provided by KAIST, the best science and technology university in Korea.
After passing the patent attorney examination and receiving a dual degree, I started working at one of the best law firms in Korea. Since then, I have been building up my career as a patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). I have experienced many things throughout my life as a student, but I would say that this KAIST-MIP dual degree program certainly was a turning point.
Now as a primary patent examiner, I will keep building my career by performing patent examination works that require huge responsibilities and expertise.
If you are willing to challenge yourself and to expand your business area to the global market, Northwestern-KAIST dual degree program is definitely your choice.