What year did you graduate from law school and which law school?
University of Michigan, 2013
What year did you start at MCPS? What practice group were you in and what projects/cases did you particularly enjoy?
In 2013 I joined FITG/Banking. I most enjoyed international and syndicated lending transactions.
Did you come to MCPS directly from law school? If not, where did you go first and what did you do there?
I was direct, a summer and then an associate.
Describe a challenging/exciting/significant experience that you had while at MCPS.
I represented (pro bono) an asylum seeker during the child separation crisis and was able to get her released from detention and reunited with minor child.
What is your fondest memory of your time at MCPS?
The friends and colleagues I made. It's cheesy, but the people are the best part of MCPS. The social events with colleagues and clients, like the firm outing, holiday celebrations, and the March Madness event were especially great.
If you could have dinner with one person you know from your Miller Canfield days, who would that be and why?
I certainly miss my entire old practice group and would love to reunite and hear how things are with each of them, Doug Kilbourne, Trent Taylor, Shawn Hopper, Tony Mavrinac, just to begin to name a few. Also, Thom Linn because he had great stories.
When did you leave Miller Canfield and where did you go?
2019, I joined the US Army as a Judge Advocate.
Where do you work now?
I work for the US Army as a Judge Advocate and am currently stationed in South Korea.
How would you describe your workday?
I'm currently the Chief of Legal Assistance at Camp Humphreys In South Korea. My work consists of advising soldiers, families and retirees on legal issues from family law, to estate planning, international law, national security, criminal issues, economic concerns, immigration, and a range of administrative issues, both within and outside the military. I also manage a team of 10, including US and Korean attorneys and paralegals.
What is the most interesting/challenging part of your job?
I love managing my team. The people who work in my office are passionate, dedicated, and diverse and ensuring we help our very special clientele is an honor.
What do you miss most about your routine at MCPS that you don’t experience at your current job? Or, alternatively, how is your life/workday/routine different from your time at MCPS?
The sophistication, specialization, and expertise in action you see at MCPS are unmatched. Everyone who works there is brilliant and driven to succeed on tough and interesting cases and deals. My current work is much more general, and while that is exciting and I love helping people in my role, digging really deep into issues and becoming a reliable expert for clients at MCPS was a privilege.
Would you mind telling us about your personal life (spouse, children, travels, hobbies, etc.)?
I was married to my wife, Jinsun Hwang on 2 February 2022. Our wedding was a small legal wedding and we hope to have a ceremony in the US in the future. She is a Korean citizen and we're very much looking forward to our move to my next duty station in July of this year, even if we don't know exactly what the future holds. We love to travel and explore Korea and I enjoy studying and learning the Korean language. We look forward to the easing of pandemic restrictions so that we can explore and travel internationally as well.
Please describe anything else about your life and/or career/and/or your Miller Canfield days that has not been captured by these questions and that you think folks might find interesting.
I am grateful for the mentorship and training I received at MCPS. Every day, I draw on the lessons of professionalism, expertise, and work ethic that I learned at MCPS. I speak often about my wonderful time at the firm. I still think very fondly about my MCPS family regularly.
Newlyweds Tom Turner and Jinsun Hwang
Judge Advocate Tom Turner
