Grand Prize in the 1st Law School Admission, Life, and Bar Exam Essay Contest Hosted by the Korean Association of Law Schools

Award-winning essay titled "The Tumultuous Life of a Law School Student Who Only Graduated Elementary School"

[July 22, 2024]

 LEE Kang-il, a student at Yeungnam University (President CHOI Oe-chool) Law School, won the grand prize at the 1st Law School Admission, Life, and Bar Exam Essay Contest. The award ceremony was held on July 11 at the Korean Association of Law Schools' conference room.

The contest was organized to provide prospective and current law school students with real-life insights and information. It was divided into three categories: law school admission, law school life, and bar exam success. Submissions were accepted from March to May and underwent rigorous evaluation by a panel of judges, resulting in 12 selected winners.

 LEE Kang-il's essay, "The Tumultuous Life of a Law School Student Who Only Graduated Elementary School," stood out among nationwide law school students. In his essay, he detailed his journey overcoming difficult economic conditions since graduating from elementary school. LEE narrated his experiences driving tractors, working in farming, slaughterhouses, operating heavy machinery, carpentry, concrete casting, wallpapering, and interior design. He shared how he persevered through these challenges, passed the high school equivalency exam, and graduated from a remote university over six years before entering law school. His honest portrayal of balancing work and study and his relentless efforts to excel in his legal studies earned high praise.

LEE expressed, "I hope this essay offers some comfort and encouragement to those who may find law school daunting due to their academic background or financial circumstances. I am deeply grateful to the YU Law School professors who have always kept their office doors open and guided me with passion. I will continue to strive to become a respectable legal professional."

YU Law School Dean LEE Dong-hyung congratulated LEE Kang-il, saying, "I sincerely congratulate Lee Kang-il on winning the grand prize. This will be a great inspiration for current students and those aspiring to join law school. The law school will do its utmost to support students so they can focus on their studies."

 Meanwhile, YU Law School produced 7 successful students in the 2024 new prosecutor selection test, ranking first in the country in the prosecutor appointment passing rate (based on the number of successful students compared to the admission quota), and ranked first in the country in the 9th Bar Examination, and ranked 2nd in the country in the 8th and 10th bar exam passing rate (based on the number of students admitted to each class), showing the prestige of a law school. In the third law school evaluations in 2023, the law school was evaluated as ‘certified’ in recognition of its excellence in operation and quality of education.