Eunice Kim
Eunice Kim: A Legal Pioneer
Born in Seoul, Korea in 1960, Eunice emigrated with parents from Korea in January 1971. Parents were disillusioned by the immigrant lifestyle in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and therefore moved the family to the US, first to Hartford, Connecticut, then to Hyattsville, Maryland, and eventually to live in New York City. Parents ended up settling in Toronto, Canada in April 1972 and managed to get permanent residency under Trudeau’s new immigration policy. As a result, Eunice finished Grade 6 in four different cities in three different countries.
She finished Grade 6 at Thorncliffe Park Public School in Toronto, attended Valley Park Junior High School and Overlea Secondary High School in Don Mills, Toronto. She went onto study English Literature at University of Toronto, St. George Campus, where she met Dr. Jai Shin Yu, who taught Korean Religion and Korean Culture in the East Asian Department. She was attracted to Korean history and culture, and took all courses offered about Korea including Korean language courses. She credits the East Asian Department of University of Toronto for giving her the chance to learn about her native country’s past including the colonization of Korea by Japan, and making her proud of her heritage, which eventually lead her to be more active in the Korean Canadian community.
During her student years at University of Toronto, she became one of the founders of “Silhak Society” which hosted seminars and events to put into practice political mobilization of Korean students, and actively campaigned for then U of T professor, Bill Graham, to become the Liberal candidate for Toronto Central-Rosedale riding in 1983.
Eunice went on to study law at Osgoode Hall Law School, graduating in 1985 and articled at Lyons, Arbus in downtown Toronto. During Bar Admissions, she took the New York Bar, lived and practiced law in New York City from 1987 and returned to Toronto in 1992 and since then practices law in the GTA. Year 2017 marks 30 years in practice of law.
Eunice is married with four children. She remembers how there were not enough mentors when she was in university and hopes to provide volunteer opportunities to younger generation of Korean Canadians through involvement with community organizations.
Eunice currently serves as a director of Korean Schools Association of Ontario; Korean Heritage Awards.
She is Vice President of Kowin Toronto Chapter and is the current Board chair of Arirang Age-Friendly Community Centre, a senior community health organization operating adult day programs for frail Korean elders. Currently she is actively fundraising to keep Rose of Sharon nursing home beds in Korean community.
Eunice was recognized in 2009 as an early woman lawyer making history in Diversifying the Bar by the Law Society of Upper Canada.
Eunice is fully bilingual in English and Korean.
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