Post by: Hojin Jang
Hello, my name is Hojin Jang and I am a rising 2L at Handong International Law School (HILS).After the graduation of University, I served the Korean Army as an officer for 28months and then have worked for the HR department in CJ corporation in Korea for three years. However, I felt called by God to become a lawyer at that point in time as I have been always dreamed to be. Accordingly, I got an opportunity to intern with an International Christian NGO named pNan (Assisting international refugees seeking asylum in Korea and abroad) for a year on the purpose of understanding legal assistance for those in need. Eventually, God put me HILS to become a U.S. lawyer, not Korean, in a sense that I may be exploited as a means of being His instrument to fulfill His kingdom throughout the entire world, not just within the Korea peninsula.
This winter, I had the privilege to intern with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) in New Delhi, India. ADF is an indispensable organization that represents minorities in the context of India Society in order to promote and protect their human rights especially for their freedom of religion. I was truly blessed to be assigned to a litigation team so that I was able to spend time with great litigators. I was involved in a supreme court case that deals with Christian Dalits’ suffers. The Christian Dalits are being excluded from the benefits that the Indian government offers. The Indian government argues that if one converts to Christianity, then he no longer belongs to the subject of the benefits because the benefits are designed to restore Dalits’ suffer within the Caste system. However, according to the government, there is no suffers to be restored to the Christian Dalits because Christianity denies the Caste system and professes egalitarianism. However, Christian Dalits, in fact, still suffer disabilities because of their birth even after their conversion. ADF India is now representing the Christian Dalits in order to let them into the social benefits system. I have researched case precedent, thesis, or any documents in the UK, US, or outside country in order to sustain our arguments until now. I had opportunities to read relevant cases and different kinds of documents specifically, and Indian Constitutional law as I pondered on the applicable solution by asking myself what point may help our position.
Also, I was able to visit district courts in Delhi and experienced basically what the Indian Court process is. I was able to practically understand the general concept of it, adjust, and compare to what I have learned in law school, especially civil procedure. I am expected to visit the supreme court of India within a week as well. Throughout the research and the visiting, I was able to get more familiar with the Indian Judiciary system, the way of people’s thinking and lifestyle, and to deeply realize the socio-economical needs to be enhanced and empowered that should be fulfilled by those who sincerely follow Jesus Christ.
Even if this is only second week of the internship, I have learned from here. I was able to confront the Christian’s difficulties with my own eyes in the sociocultural context of India. I also learned how ADF India works well with delights in the name of Jesus Christ as they open every day with a daily prayer seeking His guidance and protection. I was challenged, inspired, motivated and humbled. Because God plans every work that I have, every people who I meet, and every circumstance that I face, I cannot wait for having the rest period of the internship. I hope and pray that every work I have done or will be done here would be something helpful for the changing Indian society with a humble attitude.
This post was written by a Center for Global Justice Intern. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect those of Regent University, Regent Law School, or the Center for Global Justice.