Out-of-State Criminal Cases (Outside of California)

Why Can’t I Help With Cases in Other States?

Let me explain why. In South Korea, once someone passes the national bar exam or graduates from law school and obtains a Korean law license, that attorney can practice law anywhere in the country. Whether you are in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, or even on Jeju Island or Ulleungdo, the same national laws apply—the law is uniform across the entire country.

But in the United States, things work very differently.
Each state in the U.S. has its own set of laws governing criminal law, civil law, business law, inheritance law, and more. With the exception of a few areas like immigration law, which is federal and therefore uniform across the country, most legal systems are state-specific.

As a result, each state has its own bar exam and issues its own state law license.
For example:

• California has its own bar exam and license,

• New York has its own,

• Oklahoma has its own,

• and so on.

That means a lawyer licensed in California cannot practice in Oklahoma or give legal advice under Oklahoma law, unless they are also licensed there.

Why I Decline Out-of-State Inquiries

Sometimes people from other states call and ask,

“Attorney Kim, I live in Kansas (or Colorado or Nebraska) and I have a criminal case. Can I get your opinion on it?”

Unfortunately, my answer is: I can’t help—because I’m not licensed in that state.
In fact, I may not even be familiar with how criminal courts operate in places like Denver or Tulsa, and I certainly haven’t appeared in those courts myself.

Even if I wanted to help, offering a guess about another state’s laws would not only be irresponsible, it could also be legally inappropriate. That’s why, even if no other Korean-speaking attorneys are available in your area, I still cannot legally or ethically provide a consultation about your case.

Even Within California, Rules Vary by County

To make things even more complex, even within California, the rules and procedures can differ from county to county.

• Los Angeles County has its own practices,

• which are different from Orange County,

• which are again different from Riverside or San Bernardino County.
  Even Ventura County handles cases differently.

Now imagine how different the systems must be in completely separate states.

Final Thoughts

I understand that many of you may feel frustrated, especially if you’re located in a state where there aren’t many—or any—Korean-speaking attorneys. But please understand that I cannot ethically or legally take on cases outside California, no matter how much I may want to help.

If you are calling about an out-of-state matter, please keep this in mind before reaching out. Thank you for your understanding.