19.12.12 10:46
Kim Ye-won is a public-interest lawyer and founder of the Disability Rights Law Center who has dedicated her career to defending people with disabilities, especially those facing intersectional discrimination. After passing the bar in 2009 and working at the Dongcheon Foundation, she helped establish the center in 2017 to fill legal blind spots and challenge systemic injustices. Her work combines courtroom advocacy with ongoing support, and she finds deep professional satisfaction in using the law to address social wrongs.

Central to Kim’s approach is the power of solidarity: she routinely partners with disability, child and women’s organizations throughout litigation and in post‑case protection for clients. Rather than focusing solely on case outcomes, she measures success by the emotional and practical change in survivors—helping them move from fear and self-blame to feeling supported and valued. Kim emphasizes empathetic communication, reminding clients that their harm was not their fault and coordinating networks that sustain recovery beyond legal victory.

Beyond institutional alliances, Kim argues for everyday solidarity between disabled and non-disabled people, rejecting patronizing or objectifying attitudes and promoting mutual aid and genuine dialogue. She frames her advocacy as a natural fit for her personality—direct, persistent, and upbeat—and insists that simple respect and communication are the first steps toward inclusion. Her optimism and refusal to become pessimistic about cases reflect a broader belief that collective effort can produce meaningful change for marginalized communities.

Original source: ‘명랑’ 김예원 변호사가 말하는 “연대의 힘” (Source: the news outlet; please refer to the original article.)