Hamee has a strong interest in addressing international human rights issues. Having lived in three different countries by the age of 15, she gained an ability to empathize with those who had to adapt to new cultures and belief systems. At the University of Chicago, Hamee ran her school’s chapter of a human rights advocacy group called Emancipate North Koreans (ENoK). As a member of ENoK, she tutored and mentored North Korean refugees residing on the South Side of Chicago. She witnessed the economic and cultural barriers that made the transition to the U.S. increasingly difficult. This experience motivated Hamee to work with refugee resettlement and integration issues. As an undergraduate student, Hamee majored in Economic and Human Rights Studies to grow her understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of economic policies and human rights frameworks.
Before law school, Hamee worked for major banks as an investment banker and private equity investment associate, and in each role, she decoded abstract business models across industries and geographies into viable investment theses. Consequently, she approaches the global refugee resettlement crises through a financial and economic lens. Hamee hopes to strengthen her grasp of refugee resettlement policies through participation in the IHRC.
While at USC Gould, Hamee has been involved with the Public Interest Law Foundation and International Refugee Assistance Project. She also volunteered with the National Lawyers Guild: Venice & Skid Row Homeless Citation Legal Clinic.
“I hope to bring my transactional and investing experience to formulate an innovative solution that can encourage public and private investment to support policies. Participation in the IHRC will allow me to lift barriers for those who were forcibly removed, persecuted, and stripped of their basic rights so that they can reconstruct the lives they deserve.”