Student Spotlight: Miles Kim ’25

Miles Kim ’25 studied percussion as an undergraduate, and the techniques he learned to deal with performance anxiety have come in handy at Columbia Law School, where the aspiring litigator has competed twice in the Harlan Fiske Stone Moot Court Competition. Now a finalist, Kim talks about his love of music, seeing the significance of his coursework in the news, and why he signed up for moot court.  

Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri

Before Columbia Law: Bachelor of Music in percussion performance, Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester

At Columbia Law: Treasurer, Columbia Law School Legal Technology Association; staff editor, The Columbia Journal of Law & the Arts; teaching assistant to Judge Jed S. Rakoff, Columbia Law School adjunct professor and U.S. district judge for the Southern District of New York

What’s Next: Kim will join the litigation department of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

How has music played an important part in your life?

I started taking piano lessons at a pretty early age. My mom was also a music major and worked at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. When I think back on it, the playing was not as important to me as the listening. The great thing about being a percussionist is you sometimes have one note per hour of music. You have the best seat in the house, right behind the horns. You get great sound and can sit there and listen.  

How did you decide to go to law school?

The University of Rochester has a program for students that are in pretty intense majors. You get a tuition-free year to study a subject of your choice. I chose political philosophy. I really liked reading and writing, and I thought the skills required in law school were things I could be good at.

What courses or professors have been particularly influential?

I hadn’t taken a class with Professor Olatunde Johnson until this semester; I always wanted to, but our schedules didn’t line up. I’m taking Antidiscrimination Law with her right now—it’s a topic that’s at the forefront of everyone’s mind given all the executive orders being released. The subject matter is really important, and now I see it in everyday life. With her experience working as an antidiscrimination lawyer, it’s the perfect intersection of someone who’s both really knowledgeable about the law as it relates to academia but also as it operates in the real world.

Why did you sign up for the Harlan Fiske Stone Moot Court Competition last year and this year?

I signed up last year with one of my best friends. We thought it would be fun, but it turns out you’re only able to have fun if you’re not floundering in front of the judges. In the second round, we prepared better and had a lot more fun, so we decided we had to do it again this year.

What is your strategy for maintaining focus during oral arguments?

I used to take a lot of auditions that required a similar degree of focus. I’m a big fan of the sports psychology book The Inner Game of Tennis. As the book suggests, I try my best to silence my “Self 1”—the conscious, judgmental voice in my head—and tap into my “Self 2”—the subconscious flow state.

How do you do that?

Honestly, I’m trying to feign confidence. I wouldn’t call myself the most confident person. I pretend to be a very confident person, and, the more I did auditions and performances, the more I was able to become that confident person, at least for the sake of the performance. 

What do you like to do outside of law school?

Predictably, I go to a lot of concerts. No matter what you’re into, in this city, you can find it. I like to go to a lot of metal concerts. There’s a great metal scene in Queens.