2022.06.20 09:25 Kim remains engaged on current disability issues—defending the rights of protest groups that press authorities to honor commitments—and balances advocacy with family life and professional development. Soon she will research victim support in the U.S. as a visiting scholar at Duke, and she is open to future public roles. Her advice to young lawyers is practical: follow your lived interests, start by looking and participating, and let steady engagement—not grand gestures—build meaningful change.
Kim Ye-won, a lawyer who lost an eye due to a medical accident before birth, is the subject of a newly revised memoir and advocacy book that documents her work defending marginalized people pro bono. The updated edition builds on her 2021 book and reflects on how becoming visually impaired reshaped her view of the world and her practice of law. Published by Woongjin Knowledge House, the book frames her legal work as both professional advocacy and human-rights activism.
Through vivid, humane anecdotes—bringing warm tteok-mandu-guk to a sexual assault victim who feared going hungry that night, sharing snacks and walks in the park with a child caught between warring parents—Kim emphasizes the importance of meeting clients as individuals rather than case numbers. The narrative highlights her close, personal approach to clients, the small gestures that build trust, and the conviction that looking closely at each person reveals deeper needs and a path to recovery. The book also paints the portrait of a tireless lawyer zipping between courts and police stations on a scooter, committed to showing up and bearing witness.
Alongside the memoir, the article introduces a practical companion for victims of crime: “The Art of Filing a Criminal Complaint,” a guide by criminal-law practitioners that demystifies the complaint process. Aimed at people who may be disillusioned by long investigations or unexpected case outcomes, it explains procedures, realistic expectations, and tactical steps from drafting a complaint through trial. With legal explanations, real-world examples, and templates, the guide seeks to help victims pursue redress more effectively without inadvertently harming their own position.
