Karis Chi is currently serving as a Legal Fellow at IJM’s field office in Kampala, Uganda. IJM has open positions for lawyers, social workers and college graduates at most field office locations.

By Karis Chi

Until eight months ago, working with IJM had never figured into my plans. As an English major at UCLA, my dreams of being a writer changed when I began to explore issues of justice, and I decided to go to law school in hopes of becoming an advocate.

In law school at UC-Berkeley Law School, I learned about the work of IJM, and while I admired the work, I did not seriously consider working in human rights or overseas. I had hoped to work as a public defender after graduation, but instead found myself headed instead to a private litigation firm in Los Angeles.

On the day I was sworn in as an attorney, my mother gave me a gift – the words of Proverbs 31:8-9 in Chinese calligraphy, written by her own hand. The words – “Speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” – hung in my office at the firm for the next three years, serving as a constant reminder of why I pursued law in the first place, an especially strong reminder on days when I was inclined to stay at an interesting, comfortable and well-paying job.

For three years, I worked at the firm, where I had the opportunity to participate in all aspects of trial work. It was during this time that I felt stirred to go overseas. I remembered learning of IJM in law school, and applied to work as a legal fellow in one of IJM’s overseas offices. I resigned from the firm, raised financial support, and moved to Uganda.

In my short time here in Uganda, I’ve seen the impossible – discovery of absconded perpetrators, return of funds stolen from orphans – become possible. I’ve been able to use my litigation experience to help the office take its first case to trial. I’ve had the privilege of teaching the law to rural residents who have never known that law could be a force on their side. I’m also learning a great deal from my Ugandan colleagues about the tenacity and resourcefulness it takes to practice law in a place with very few resources, about the humility and humor it takes to co-labor with people from the other side of the world.