Hyemin Cho, B.A., J.D.
JUNIOR ASSOCIATE LAWYER
Hyemin Cho was called to the British Columbia Bar on September 15, 2022. She completed her articles with Sarah Leamon Law Group under the supervision of Sarah Leamon.
Hyemin was born in South Korea and raised in Burnaby, British Columbia. She completed her legal education and received her Juris Doctorate from Peter A. Allard School of Law at University of British Columbia (UBC) in May 2021. Prior to her legal degree, Hyemin obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at UBC.
Hyemin’s interest in criminal law stems from her lifelong mission to understand why crimes are committed. During her post-secondary education, Hyemin took nearly all crime-related psychology and law courses offered at UBC. She also assisted with research on reoffending tendencies of youth sex offenders and cognitive development of morality. She used the knowledge to better understand the needs and concerns of her clients and crown counsels while working at the Law Students’ Legal Advice Program (LSLAP), a pro-bono organization that provides free legal advice and representation to people with low income. This led to successful negotiations with the Crown and favourable outcomes for her clients.
Hyemin received further training in criminal law while doing a semester-long clinic placement with BC Prosecution Service through UBC Criminal Law Clinic. As a temporary articled student, she represented the Crown on several prosecution files and learnt how the criminal justice system works from the other side. While working as a caseworker for the UBC Innocence project, she learnt how to investigate claims for wrongful convictions and review validity of various court evidence.
Having grown up in an immigrant family, Hyemin has personal understanding of how daunting and incomprehensible the Canadian legal system can be, especially when one has limited financial means. She is dedicated to helping her clients understand their legal situation and learning about clients’ personal circumstances to come up with the best defence possible. She aims to get her clients through their legal problems with minimum stress.
Hyemin is fluent in Korean and English. During her spare time, she enjoys volunteering, playing cello and piano, and practicing martial arts with friends.