Please introduce yourself.
My name is Alex Hyojung Roh (JCL, entering class of 2014). I was born and raised in Korea, moved to the UK when I was ten, and returned to Korea for college. After graduating from UIC in 2018, I started studying political thoughts at the Yonsei graduate school but was not fully convinced that it was the right path for me. I took a leave of absence and participated in the Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition with some students at the law school. The experience taught me that I work better with concrete cases than abstract theories, and also that teamwork excites me more than long-term independent research. I decided to leave the masters program and pursue law school instead. I chose the US over Korea based on the size of the legal market and my personal preference for the English language in academic and professional settings. While preparing for law school, I worked in a couple of law firms.
Why did you choose Justice and Civil Leadership?
I have always been a generalist, and also a very indecisive one. I had no clue what I wanted to do – or even could do – after college. During my freshman year, I did my best to engage with the readings and class discussions in the hope that this approach would shed some light on what I was “destined” to be. Although the year-long endeavor did not result in a definite answer, it did confirm that (1) I hated maths and (2) I enjoyed critically and liberally thinking about social phenomena. Of all the courses I took during my freshman year, JCL courses tackled the most challenging and interesting issues (and involved the least maths). The professors introduced us to the greatest thinkers who asked and theorized on all sorts of normative and positive questions, allowing us to explore the different methodologies and analytical tools that scholars from various disciplines developed.
There were times when I felt like all this questioning and theorizing was going nowhere in terms of my career. After all, when would I ever have to choose between hitting five people with my broken trolley instead of one? What job would require me to explain the difference between Utilitarianism and Kant’s moral philosophy? But in hindsight, JCL trained me to research, organize, and communicate large amounts of information, which is a skill that most non-STEM jobs require. This skill has been helpful throughout graduate school, at law firms, and at law school. I cannot think of a better way to develop this skill during college than choosing a major that actively encourages you to digest heaps of information that humanity has compiled since the invention of language. Unless you want to become a technical expert and work as an engineer or scientist straight out of college, I believe the best way to decide on a major is to go with the one that challenges and excites you.
Tell us about U.S. law school admissions.
Numerically, US law school admissions for international students focuses almost entirely on your LSAT scores. Your GPA is secondary because it is not a standardized measure of academic achievement (regardless, no school would appreciate an exceptionally low GPA). So, focus on doing as well as you can in classes, but do not feel pressured to avoid a course just because it might “ruin” your perfect GPA.
Another way to make yourself stand out is by demonstrating self-awareness in your admissions essays (personal statements, diversity statements, etc.). What are your values, goals, motivating factors, strengths, and weaknesses? How do you handle stress and anxiety? Do you have a daily routine that optimizes your academic performance, mental health, and physical well-being? Continue to explore and evaluate yourself by experiencing as much as you can. College is not a place to accumulate technical knowledge that you will regurgitate in your workplace after graduation. The “unstructured” nature of a liberal arts program including JCL allows you to shape the course of the next four years for yourself. This is daunting but also empowering – you could develop yourself into anything with the help of devoted professors, smart classmates, and the university’s endless resources!
Alex Hyojung Roh
JD Candidate at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Class of 2024
Justice and Civil Leadership Major at Underwood International College, Class of 2018