UCI’s law school brings in Korea Law Center

South Korea doesn’t seem quite so distant, thanks to the new Korea Law Center at UC Irvine’s School of Law.

The center is part of UCI’s new International Commerce and Law Institute, a multi-continental organization designed to facilitate the study of international law.

“It’s going to be a place where businesspeople, lawyers, scholars can learn and work together to overcome difficulties at the intersection of U.S.-Korea law,” said Rex Bossert, assistant dean for communications at the UCI law school.

The center will partner with Seoul National University and Sogang University, both in Seoul, and will offer a wide array of resources for students, lawyers, legal scholars, judges and businesspeople.

The primary goal of the center will be to create programs that educate Americans and South Koreans.

“There’s increasing commerce between Korea and the U.S.,” said UCI Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky.

“Accordingly, there are so many ways that American lawyers need to learn about Korean law, and Korean lawyers need to learn about American law. This will help facilitate the process.”

“It is an important part of our mission,” Bossert said. “We actually have a first-year requirement for international legal analysis. This is an uncommon first-year requirement, but it fits into the philosophy of the law school.”

Bossert hopes that the law school’s focus on international law will prepare students to work in an increasingly globalized world.

“We want students to have practical, hands-on education,” he said.

The law school intends to further expand its international programs.

According to officials, plans are under way to forge partnerships with the University of Cantabria in Santander, Spain, and law schools in China.

— Paul Oginni