Interview with Judge Liz Kim

Judge Liz Kim is an outstanding role model who is an inspiration to all young girls, and women. She is a wife and mother of three, two with special needs. Despite the sacrifice, and challenges, she has managed to maintain a healthy balance between her family and her highly demanding professional career. When and why did you decide to become a lawyer? I decided to become a lawyer when I was twenty years old. I graduated from law school when I was twenty three and wanted to become a lawyer to work in juvenile law. I have always wanted to work with children, so in law school, I took classes and learned the many ways that children and the law intersect. After I passed the bar, I was hired by Los Angeles County to represent the Department of Children and Family Services. How did you decide to become a judge? I started out as a prosecutor in the County Counsel’s office. From there, I went in to private practice, where I represented children in dependency court, criminal court, and in contested adoptions. I found the work incredibly rewarding. I got married and have three children, two boys with special needs. I needed to balance work with family and found that working set hours at work was more manageable than working as a trial lawyer. My sons needed early childhood intervention and I was able to schedule their therapy sessions on my days off. I needed to be available for my children, yet I knew I would not be happy if I gave up my career completely. What is the main qualification to become a judge? To be constitutionally eligible to be a judicial officer, you have to be a lawyer for a minimum of 10 years. What is the best part of being a judge? I make decisions that effectuate change. What is the hardest part of being a judge? I work in the Children’s Court and the subject matter of my cases is child abuse. We carry extremely heavy caseloads and the services for our population have been cut dramatically. At any given time, my department has an average of 1100 children with open cases. It is challenging to insure that each case is given the time and attention that it deserves. What do you find most fulfilling as a judge? The most fulfilling aspect of my job is that I work directly with families and make orders which are specifically tailored to assist and serve children and their families. It is incredibly fulfilling to see parents in recovery achieve sobriety, women leave abusive relationships, and children improve and bloom after receiving early intervention and special ed services. Give me an accomplishment which you are proud of? My children are learning that women are important, we hold important jobs, we make important decisions, and we do important things. What impact would you like to have on other women through your role as a judge? As the daughter of first generation immigrants, and as the mother of a 10 year old girl, I would like to show women of all backgrounds that women are strong and we can achieve our dreams. How does a person obtain a leadership role? It is earned through honesty, confidence, knowledge and a willingness to take on responsibility. As a leader, what advice can you give women leaders? I believe it is important to be a mentor. Accept invitations to speak to students, talk about your experiences, challenges and accomplishments. Dispel their fear that goals are unattainable. Tell them that they should try their best; they will be surprised at how they can achieve. I believe it is important to support each other. Although we’ve made great strides in achieving equality, there is still much work to be done. Women need to help each other, celebrate each other’s accomplishments, and push each other along in this journey. By Yolanda Osorio - owner of A-1 Custom Draperies, and in 50/50’s Leadership Circle.