Korean Job Discussion Forums

[fortunate son]

This has been cross-posted in the International Job Forum, just fyi.

I am an attorney from a top 50 law school who recently got laid off. I love to travel and I'm getting my ducks in a row to head to Korea. Even if I get another legal job here, I'm pretty much over the constant anxiety and stress of getting laid off with no notice, so the prospect of a year-long contract and being paid to live in another culture excite the shit out of me. Plus I've always wanted to teach, and have, kinda. I have 6 months of experience teaching the LSAT and I'm working on my online TEFL Cert from i to i. My undergraduate degree is in philosophy (magna cum laude from a top 15 public university).

Just a few questions:

Will my JD allow me to possibly get a Uni job? If not, will I be able to command a higher rate from a public or hagwon? Is there a demand for Westerners to teach Legal English? I'm more than willing to pay my dues at a private or public school for a year or so and then go to University.

What sort of pay should I expect? Should I demand airfare paid for up front?(instead of reimbursement).

Does anyone know anything about CDI/Aclipse? I have an interview with them on Monday.

I'm more or less dead set on Seoul. What are my chances at nabbing a decent job there, starting within the next few months?

Is there a large network of expats in Seoul on here that I could possibly hang out with?

Can I get a Blackberry over there or not?

Thanks guys, much appreciated.

[bluelake]

You might possibly be able to get a job teaching law, as more and more universities in Korea are starting int'l law schools. My old university has such a school and most of the profs there are lawyers from the States.

[fortunate son]

[bluelake]

I'll send you a PM.

[Unposter]

I would definately look into universities but most hiring takes place in November and December, though it may be possibel to find a second semester job in May/June. If you do not have any previous teaching experience, it may be more difficult to find a job or more difficult to find a good job.

I think both teaching or practicing law may be a possibility though. My brother who has a JD and licenced in Wisconsin (at the time) got a job as a "Consultant" at a Korean law firm despite the fact that he did not have any related experience. The firm specialized in the law of the sea. He did not like it much though as it was culturally very different than he was used to. But, they did pay him 10 million won ($10,000 at the time) to end his contract early. Then, after they had already paid him in cash, the firm called him the next day to renege on the deal. He already had the cash in hand and he told them where to go. Anyway, the impression he left me is that a lot of Korean law firms need Westerners to help them with international issues if that is something that interests you.

He applied after seeing an advertisement on a website.

[TBirdMG]

It is possible to find the right position, but having a JD and seeking an ESL post will frustrate you. Most traditional ESL jobs, even at the uni. level, will simply measure the JD as a graduate degree as provide you with an incremental salary bump to teach, sigh....the same old English conversation and intermediate/advanced thematic ESL classes.

Yes, you can better leverage the JD directly to teach law at a Seoul university's law department, if that's what you want. And being a top 50 program graduate and a few years of experience under your belt, it shouldn't be too hard. However, as one previous poster commented, the prime hiring season for such a post is Nov-Jan, with a Feb-March start date. However, you could luck out and find an unfilled post. A good start is to make a list of all the major Seoul unis (go to Wikipedia), search the school's law school page, and email a CV and resume to a few of the top people/HR dept.

Going the Aclipse/other ESL recruiter route will most likely yield a public school or language institution (hagwon) job, something you are very overqualified for. They're set up to process young BAs and certified teachers for the most part.

And the fact that you have the organizational, academic, and intellectual fortitude to graduate law school and pass a state bar strongly suggests that you would be bored by the reality of teaching remedial English day in day out in an environment that is often exploitative and unsupportive at worst, and indifferent at best. Besides, the salary and benefits of a hagwon/PS job may not appeal. They typically offer 2.5million won per month + housing in an average (not stellar) apartment + 1 month severance per year + reimbursed airfare.
You're looking at @US$2k/month and a roof over your head. Not very lawyerly money.

I would try to locate a few headhunters specializing in corporate/international law. You might be able to secure a job where you act as an in house English teacher and law consultant without actually having to practice full time with all the pressure and expectations of such an employee. And I would expect the salary and benefits to be, easily, more than double that of the hagwon/PS. As well, you'll be treated much better, with more respect as a professional with a practical knowledge base, and not just some human tape recorder responsible for reviewing weekly vocabulary lists before an exam.

[fortunate son]

Thank you, this has all been very helpful.

Can I get in touch with your brother? Maybe he knows of some contacts I could get in touch with.

Anyone else know some contacts in international law? It is a very intriguing possibility to me.

[orin_louis]

How did it turn out?

I have a Master's in English and years experience, and also went to good schools. No JD, but still above the avg 21 year old.

I am, however, finding that the best I can hope for is just that tiny salary bump to be the tape recorder.

CDI interview 2 tonight.
Ugh.
Help appreciated...