One of the most common complaints I hear from law students is that law schools, although excellent at teaching legal concepts and developing analytical skills, cannot fully convey what it is like to practice law.  Law students typically get a taste of the practice during their summer internships or school-year externships.  But I find that law students still crave opportunities to meet attorneys and ask the practical questions.  What is it truly like to argue before a judge or negotiate a deal?  How is practicing at a large law firm different from practicing at a small firm, as a solo practitioner, at a non-profit organization, or in the District Attorney's office?

And, particularly in the current economic climate, law students are also understandably asking another important question: How do I get a job? 
The Korean American Bar Association of Southern California has always looked for ways to bridge this knowledge gap for law students.  It was in that spirit that KABA held its Fourth Annual Law Student Dinner Series during the months of October and November.  The brainchild of two members of KABA's board of governors, Kelly Knight and Dorothy Kim, the Series consists of a number of dinners at attorneys' homes and restaurants, where small groups of law students can meet with veteran attorneys from a variety of practice areas.  The relaxed, informal settings encourage law students and attorneys alike to let down their guard, and discuss topics that perhaps might not come up at larger job panels or mixers ("Do you really just review documents your first year on the job?"  "Do you have to work late every night?").

I had the privilege of coordinating this year's Dinner Series.  The students with whom I spoke greatly enjoyed the dinners.  They loved the easy flow of conversation, the inside scoop on practicing law in different settings, and of course the food.  They also liked seeing lawyers out of their professional environment; law firm partners are a bit less intimidating when they're serving you their homemade recipe for basil pesto.

But it was especially rewarding to learn how much the participating attorneys also enjoyed the experience.  Yungsuhn Park, a staff attorney for the Asian Pacific American Legal Center who hosted one of the dinners, told me that she "had a great time hosting the public interest-themed dinner for law students."  She noted that it was "exciting to think that these law students will soon be rising stars in their fields and KABA has played a vital supportive role in making that happen."

Ultimately, that is the point of the KABA Dinner Series.  I've worked at the same law firm for seven years now, and I know the difference that certain mentors have made in my professional life.  I also know that opportunities to find those mentors are scarce.  They are especially scarce in law school, when the student is trying to decide what career path to take.  A word of advice to an aspiring lawyer can inspire, guide, and challenge in ways that the speaker could not imagine.  The law students in our Dinner Series will become the Angela Ohs and Judge Howard Halms of their generation, and it's our privilege to help them find their way there.