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Kim finds summer dream job in Hollywood

“Working at Paramount was exactly what I was looking for, but more,” said Eunice Kim, who spent her summer working as a legal intern at Paramount Pictures.
Eunice Kim | Penn State Law

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Self-described as persistent, Penn State Law 3L Eunice Kim wanted to find a summer position that would expose her to the work of in-house counsel, so she went big, landing a highly sought-after internship with Paramount Pictures and becoming one of six legal interns in the entire company.

“Working at Paramount was exactly what I was looking for, but more,” said Kim.

Kim’s goal is to eventually work in a large law firm, particularly in the realm of fashion, business, or intellectual property. The goal behind her gaining experience in in-house counsel was to be able to understand the perspective of those who she might be working with in the future. She wanted to see how law intersects with creative fields.

“The work really opened my eyes to see a bigger picture,” said Kim. “Entertainment affects everyone, and it was great to see how this side of the legal field works.”

Kim’s time at Paramount was spent largely in the Worldwide Marketing Legal Group, where she worked on drafting master vendor agreements and work orders, and condensing “legalese” into something clients could understand. She was also heavily involved with legal aspects of marketing large promotional events, including working with vendors in Japan to coordinate the transport of Optimus Prime for the “Transformers” movie premiere in Tokyo. Kim also worked on the legal issues surrounding the promotion of the home entertainment release of the high-profile “Baywatch” movie.

Kim worked a great deal with influencers, people not employed by Paramount but paid to promote Paramount releases and products, by drafting contracts and eventually creating an informational sheet on the legal ramifications of influencers for future use at Paramount.

The Paramount internship program also focuses on areas outside of law, allowing Kim to network with a multitude of peers interested in the entertainment industry. She was able to meet casting professionals, company executives, and other employees in various departments across the main offices in Hollywood, and other Viacom affiliates.

The most valuable part of her summer was building relationships. While there, she focused on meeting new people, collaborating with people from many different backgrounds, and building a network for her future. As a California native, coming to Penn State Law was somewhat of an “outside experience,” and navigating that, she believes, helped to prepare her for how to make the best of this brand new experience, and those in her future.

And she had fun, too. Her office was candidly named “The Dressing Room,” and every day on her way there, she walked past the iconic bench from the movie “Forrest Gump.”

As this internship was not the typical legal work experience, many of the attorneys that Kim worked with at Paramount applauded her decision to take on such a unique position so early in her career.

“My advice to law students is to follow your own path. Working at Paramount was one of the best jobs I’ve ever had,” said Kim. “And if not now, then when?”

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