송하정 변호사 인터뷰
James graduated from the University of Alberta Law Faculty in 1992 & has been in private practice for 25 years. He enjoys time with his wife Judy & daughter Lindsay. He has taught legal studies at the Grant McEwan University business school as well as taught seminars at the Edmonton Home Program which educates first time home buyers in the Edmonton Area.
James is proud of his deep connection to Edmonton’s thriving Korean community. As an advisor he focuses on helping individual, family and business clients solve and navigate their legal issues and provides advice and support in important life transitions.
Q: Would you recommend taking advanced courses in high school?
A: You might think it’s the contents that are advantageous, but it’s actually the people you are meeting with that are more important. Your classmates in advanced classes would be more motivated to study and more interested in academics and future career choices. Also it’s easier to make connections with peers in your class because they tend to have similar values (ex. Family relationships, strong academic backgrounds, parental career expectations, etc.)
Q: How did you decide on your major in university?
A: I didn’t start with what I wanted to do. I started with what my mom thought was a better program which was science. She thought I could become a dentist. So I did it, in fact did ok, but I wasn’t happy nor interested in the subjects too much. So I decided to talk to my parents and changed to an arts program. Since my parents were worried, I had to make my case with specific goals and agenda to present to my father. Then I really followed through; studied 12 hours a day as I did not want to disappoint them. Although my mom wasn’t happy at first, my performance convinced my parents eventually. In fact, when I got into the law school in U of A, it was a very proud moment for myself and my parents.
Q: Were you interested in law from the beginning?
A: I started with history (liberal arts) because I was interested in the subject. And my interests were reflected in the grades too. I chose law because it was a logical path I was on. I was very interested in human relations and dynamics between groups of people and individuals and the government (who did what and why), and it naturally led to the field of law where those respective rights and stories come together.
Q: For deciding your career, was there anyone else who influenced you beside your parents?
A: No, there were not a lot of role models for Korean Canadian kids at that time. Since the generation gap was even bigger back then, there were not always a great communication with other adults either both for language skills and generational interests. And there was no one ahead or around me to guide me in this area. Just like sea turtle babies, young people had to find their own way out into the ocean and come back after they had experienced some real life.
James is proud of his deep connection to Edmonton’s thriving Korean community. As an advisor he focuses on helping individual, family and business clients solve and navigate their legal issues and provides advice and support in important life transitions.
Q: Would you recommend taking advanced courses in high school?
A: You might think it’s the contents that are advantageous, but it’s actually the people you are meeting with that are more important. Your classmates in advanced classes would be more motivated to study and more interested in academics and future career choices. Also it’s easier to make connections with peers in your class because they tend to have similar values (ex. Family relationships, strong academic backgrounds, parental career expectations, etc.)
Q: How did you decide on your major in university?
A: I didn’t start with what I wanted to do. I started with what my mom thought was a better program which was science. She thought I could become a dentist. So I did it, in fact did ok, but I wasn’t happy nor interested in the subjects too much. So I decided to talk to my parents and changed to an arts program. Since my parents were worried, I had to make my case with specific goals and agenda to present to my father. Then I really followed through; studied 12 hours a day as I did not want to disappoint them. Although my mom wasn’t happy at first, my performance convinced my parents eventually. In fact, when I got into the law school in U of A, it was a very proud moment for myself and my parents.
Q: Were you interested in law from the beginning?
A: I started with history (liberal arts) because I was interested in the subject. And my interests were reflected in the grades too. I chose law because it was a logical path I was on. I was very interested in human relations and dynamics between groups of people and individuals and the government (who did what and why), and it naturally led to the field of law where those respective rights and stories come together.
Q: For deciding your career, was there anyone else who influenced you beside your parents?
A: No, there were not a lot of role models for Korean Canadian kids at that time. Since the generation gap was even bigger back then, there were not always a great communication with other adults either both for language skills and generational interests. And there was no one ahead or around me to guide me in this area. Just like sea turtle babies, young people had to find their own way out into the ocean and come back after they had experienced some real life.
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Q: What would you say that is the most important thing to do in one’s 20’s to not regret?
A: Two things you must do in your 20s so you don’t regret:
Q: What was the best advice you received in your 20’s? A: The best advice was from my father. If you are going to do something, do it gladly with your whole heart. Persevere in what you do until the better thing comes around. The magic job or experience won’t fall out of the sky. Don’t quit what you are doing until you know what you would really like to do. The reason I was obedient to my father was because his actions matched his words, and I always respected his character even if we did not agree on everything. |
Q: Any advice on time management?
A: I studied all the time. So it’s hard to give a good advice on this one. However I would focus on planning and giving equal measure to all important things which help you achieve a goal. If the activity is not helping you with your goal (career, education, health) find something else to do which will be consistent with your goals.
Q: When you first started your job as a lawyer, how different or similar was it from your previous expectation?
A: The job never looks like what you studied. It’s universal: The first year on your job is going to be 180 degrees different from your expectation. Don’t be discouraged by it. If you impose too much expectation on something, you tend to miss the real value in it. Have an open mind. And trust the process and learn the new culture of the places you go. Everyone has something to teach you. You can learn from anyone and everyone in your company. The only way to do it is to be open to it. The most important thing in life is human relationships. Your relationship skill is much more important than your technical skills in most workplaces. Once your human relationship is solid, everything else will follow. For someone who grew up in a Korean family, this is a unique strength because we value family and relationships more than some others.
Q: Any other advice for our students?
A: Mentoring is important. Younger people must feel able to ask for help and learn how to do so. You have to approach generations ahead and ask to share expertise. You have to reach up and feel capable of doing it. Take the initiative! The problem is that a lot of people think asking for help shows weakness. This is untrue – it shows courage to try and obtain new knowledge and experience and seek connections with others. You also need to find the right person to ask as well. You’d be surprised how many older skilled people are willing to share their valuable experiences with youth if only they are asked.
One other thing is to remember to say “yes” to things which may seem unfamiliar or strange to us. This is the best way to learn. Sometimes we must also say “no” to some things but should remember that if someone has invited us they have considered it and it is a compliment so I always default to the “yes” answer when invited.
Being right is not so important. Because the human relationship is the most important thing, we must be open to sometimes admitting we have been wrong. When I did something wrong and I apologized to my father – he said that it was no shame to say sorry in this case. He used the story that it was like somebody who was very messy was taking a bath in clean water – nobody would say that was bad! When a sincere apology is made, it is like the dirty man cleaning himself is a good thing. I always remembered that story very well.
A: I studied all the time. So it’s hard to give a good advice on this one. However I would focus on planning and giving equal measure to all important things which help you achieve a goal. If the activity is not helping you with your goal (career, education, health) find something else to do which will be consistent with your goals.
Q: When you first started your job as a lawyer, how different or similar was it from your previous expectation?
A: The job never looks like what you studied. It’s universal: The first year on your job is going to be 180 degrees different from your expectation. Don’t be discouraged by it. If you impose too much expectation on something, you tend to miss the real value in it. Have an open mind. And trust the process and learn the new culture of the places you go. Everyone has something to teach you. You can learn from anyone and everyone in your company. The only way to do it is to be open to it. The most important thing in life is human relationships. Your relationship skill is much more important than your technical skills in most workplaces. Once your human relationship is solid, everything else will follow. For someone who grew up in a Korean family, this is a unique strength because we value family and relationships more than some others.
Q: Any other advice for our students?
A: Mentoring is important. Younger people must feel able to ask for help and learn how to do so. You have to approach generations ahead and ask to share expertise. You have to reach up and feel capable of doing it. Take the initiative! The problem is that a lot of people think asking for help shows weakness. This is untrue – it shows courage to try and obtain new knowledge and experience and seek connections with others. You also need to find the right person to ask as well. You’d be surprised how many older skilled people are willing to share their valuable experiences with youth if only they are asked.
One other thing is to remember to say “yes” to things which may seem unfamiliar or strange to us. This is the best way to learn. Sometimes we must also say “no” to some things but should remember that if someone has invited us they have considered it and it is a compliment so I always default to the “yes” answer when invited.
Being right is not so important. Because the human relationship is the most important thing, we must be open to sometimes admitting we have been wrong. When I did something wrong and I apologized to my father – he said that it was no shame to say sorry in this case. He used the story that it was like somebody who was very messy was taking a bath in clean water – nobody would say that was bad! When a sincere apology is made, it is like the dirty man cleaning himself is a good thing. I always remembered that story very well.