Gong Gam (non-profit public interest lawyers' group)
Korean Website : http://www.kpil.org/

Gong Gam, the first ever non-profit public interest lawyer group in Korea, was founded in January 2004 and is financed by the Beautiful Foundation's "Fund for Non-Profit Public Interest Lawyers." The group is currently made up of five lawyers and a coordinator. In Korean, Gong Gam means to feel in the same way as another person, to try and understand what they are going through.

Major Activities

1. Legal Service Project for NGOs
Gong Gam aids NGOs in the protection of the human rights of minorities and the marginalized. Gong Gam provides legal advice for organizational management and administration, offers legal consultation, and supports the work of NGOs through the enactment and revision of law, filing of lawsuits, and research on system and policy.

2. Public Interest Lawsuits and Improvement of the System
Gong Gam is working toward the rapid improvement of Korea's legal system by researching social problems that demand immediate attention and aiding in preparation for lawsuits against violators of human rights.

3. Developing Programs for Public Interest Law Practice and Mediating the Pro Bono Activities of Lawyers
Gong Gam intends to initiate public interest law practice by acting as the intermediary between organizations that need legal support and the lawyers who desire to get involved in civil activities. As a step toward this, Gong Gam is doing field research to assess the actual need for legal services. We also support programs for public interest law practice by law firms, match law students with volunteer opportunities, and run the Gong Gam Internship Program.

4. Study and Research
Gong Gam is currently conducting research on legal systems and policies to protect minorities and the marginalized, as well as on promoting the practice of public interest law. We are also researching public interest law practice abroad for the purpose of applying the findings to Korea. Moreover, Gong Gam runs internship and fellowship programs in order to expand its scope of public interest activities.

Areas of Practice

1. Women
Gong Gam provides legal support for women who are discriminated against and who face hardship because of their gender. Not only does Gong Gam take legal action and offer legal advice, but it also continues to look for new ways that the legal system can be improved on behalf of trafficked persons, immigrant women, and the victims of sexual and domestic violence.

2. Disability
Gong Gam is involved in legislative activism (drafting of anti-discrimination acts concerning persons with disabilities, guardianship of incapacitated persons, treatment and protective custody for convicted persons with mental illness, welfare for persons with disabilities act, etc.), providing legal education to organizers/activists working in the disabilities field, and offering legal advice and legal consultation to various disability organizations

3. Immigrants and Refugees
Gong Gam works to combat and prevent discrimination against immigrant workers in their workplaces and their daily lives outside of work. Gong Gam takes actions to protect the rights related to exit and entry of illegal status immigrant workers, specifically in the areas of control, protection and expulsion. Gong Gam helps refugee applicants to ensure that they are examined through an appropriate and transparent process. It also works toward providing conditions in which refugees can seek and establish stable lives in Korean society.

4. Poverty and Welfare
Gong Gam is currently providing legal advice, working on lawsuits, and conducting a study on legal systems for the poor and the homeless. It also provides legal support to civic communities and organizations that try to protect and improve the rights and interests of the underprivileged. Moreover, Gong Gam has participated in legal consultation and field research on social service organizations' human rights issues.

5. Public Interest Law in General
Gong Gam assists with the human rights problems of our society, including sexual minorities and those infected with HIV/AIDS. Accordingly, we are trying to work together to take various actions for social change, including citizen autonomy, budget monitoring, and observing the activities of Korean transnational corporations abroad.