Crystal Kim gives back to the community at TMU – and at the Korean Legal Clinic

Crystal Kim has always had a heart for giving back to the community, so during her three years at Queen’s Law she volunteered and worked at Queen’s Legal Aid where she had the opportunity to work on files with low-income clients dealing with legal issues.

“I don’t have a lawyer in my family, so it was my first experience dealing with the law in real life,” says Kim. “I was dealing with people with mental health issues as well as legal issues, so it was quite an eye-opening experience.”

After traveling and studying in Asia, Kim went on to take a placement at the Ministry of the Attorney General before studying for the Bar exam. While she was studying, an opportunity arose in 2019 for a short contract job reviewing documents at Ryerson University – recently  rebranded as Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).

“Even though I was a little bit scared and nervous about working and studying at the same time, I just thought I should say ‘yes’ to the opportunities that come my way, so I took the job, and that opportunity was extended, and then it turned into the job that I’m in today,” says Kim.

As legal counsel, office of the general counsel and board secretariat, Kim is responsible for advising on legal matters associated with research at the university, as well as collaborating with other institutions on shared research, and advising on intellectual property and confidentiality – both major issues in the research space.

This year, Kim is focused on continuing to support research activities at TMU, while also supporting new collaborations that the university pursues.

Kim also supports TMU’s various research centres including a diversity institute, a future skills centre, and a cybersecurity training and research centre.

“What I really like about these research centres and these business units is that I really believe in the programs that they are running,” says Kim. “I like working in the university because there’s a bigger goal beyond just the legal work that I do, and in the same way these groups excite me because they’re doing great work for the society that we live in, so I feel really lucky that I can be part of that on a daily basis.”

On top of her work at TMU, Kim has been an active member of the board of directors of the Korean Legal Clinic since it was launched in 2019 under the direction of Julia Shin Doi – TMU’s former general counsel. The group aims to improve and facilitate access to justice for Korean Canadians living in Ontario who face cultural, financial and linguistic barriers.

In the absence of in-person consultations during the pandemic, the clinic offered seminars via Zoom on various legal topics such as employment law, housing law, small claims, and immigration. The sessions also offered breakout room consultations where participants could have a one-on-one conversation with a lawyer.

In 2021, the Korean Legal Clinic hired an executive director, Jiwon Chun – an immigration and refugee lawyer.

“That was a huge, exciting achievement for us because the board needed that extra support, to have somebody who can dedicate time to the clinic and to the community,” says Kim.

Kim is particularly proud of the clinic’s achievement in winning the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers' 2022 Social Justice Award. “It just motivates us to be better and work harder to better serve the community,” she says.

The clinic is also working on a number of new projects including creating a bilingual legal glossary to bridge the culture and language barrier Koreans face in understanding the Ontario legal process. They also hope to introduce bi-monthly pop-up legal clinics.

Looking ahead in her role at the university, Kim’s goals include continuing to be a trusted advisor at TMU.

“I love being in-house and I feel really lucky that I started my career here,” she says. “I love that I can really get to know one client and see how my advice gets used and put into practice at the university.”