HyeJi Kim

HyeJi Kim is a Senior Youth Defense Counsel at the Gault Center, where she works to strengthen children’s rights by ensuring that every child facing juvenile court stands with a zealous attorney fighting on behalf of the child. HyeJi focuses on developing policy and legal strategies to fight against the effects of structural racism in juvenile court systems and on transforming probation conditions to uphold positive youth development and racial justice. To that end, HyeJi engages in training, technical assistance, and policy advocacy for youth defenders to heighten a child’s right to counsel across the country.

Prior to joining the Gault Center, HyeJi worked as an Attorney for the Child (AFC) in child welfare and juvenile delinquency proceedings at the Legal Aid Society in New York City. As an AFC, HyeJi worked on an interdisciplinary team to directly advocate for the expressed wishes of young people, including those who are caught between the intersection of the family regulation and juvenile delinquency systems. Before working at the Legal Aid Society, HyeJi worked as a fellow at the Gault Center, where she focused on national reform efforts around supervision fees and youth probation orders.

HyeJi graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and summa cum laude from the George Washington University.

HyeJi grew up in Oregon and now lives in Brooklyn and is an avid fan of vegan ice cream and Korean cooking.