Lauren Kim ’23 was named a recipient of the 2022 Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (KALAGNY) Law Student Scholarship Award, marking the second time in program history that a Fordham Law student has received the distinction.
KALAGNY’s Law Student Scholarship is awarded each year to select law students that embody the organization’s core principles, demonstrate outstanding commitment and support to the organization and the Korean American community in the greater New York area, and plan to use their legal knowledge and skills to continue supporting the community after graduation.
“You encounter many barriers in the legal field as a person of color and as a woman,” said Kim. “KALAGNY is an organization that supports its community partly by understanding and addressing the specific issues that one faces as a result of who they are, and I find it incredibly impactful.
“I’m very honored to receive this scholarship, and it holds a lot of meaning for me,” she continued. “I began my legal studies in New York as a transplant from California, and KALAGNY quickly became one of the most important sources of community for me. It’s always been vital for me to pay forward the support I received.”
A Threefold Approach to Giving Back
Kim’s approach to giving back to the Korean American community has been threefold—in giving her time, in building community, and in raising funds for KALAGNY as co-chair of its gala auction subcommittee. “While serving as co-vice president of Fordham Law’s Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) last year, I really wanted to facilitate external connections between the Law School student body and affinity bar associations, including KALAGNY,” said Kim. “I did that through internal event planning and co-sponsoring external events. Also, whenever I went to a KALAGNY event, I would always invite and bring Fordham Law students with me.”
KALAGNY President Gene Y. Kang ’11 noted Kim’s devotion to her leadership roles in Fordham Law’s APALSA, KALAGNY, and the Asian American Bar Association of New York, through which she has highlighted AAPI-specific issues. “Lauren is clearly a future leader in our profession,” Kang said. “We are incredibly proud of her achievements and look forward to seeing what she accomplishes in her bright future.”
“I’ve had consistent involvement with KALAGNY throughout my law school career—especially during my 1L year when I was disconnected physically from the New York legal community due to the pandemic—and KALAGNY will continue to remain a priority for me,” Kim said. “Once I become a full-time attorney, I really want to use my voice and involvement with my future employer’s affinity groups to strengthen relationships between my firm and the AAPI community.”