EDUCATION
COMMITTEE
UCLI is committed to inspiring and empowering students with diverse backgrounds to pursue legal education and careers. To that end, UCLI has developed a comprehensive education and mentoring plan that serves diverse students in achieving academic and professional goals in the law, beginning in K-12 schools and continuing through undergraduate institutions and law schools. The committee supports and enhances programs serving students in K-12 schools, universities, and law schools, in an effort to introduce students to legal principles and practice, to connect students with financial and other resources, and to provide meaningful mentoring opportunities.
UCLI’s Co-Presidents Kristen Olsen and Melinda Bowen lead UCLI’s Mentoring Task Force utilizing a team approach that provides each mentee/student with multiple mentors/advisors, who, in turn, facilitate relationships that can help students and lawyers at different stages in their educational and professional journey. To volunteer as a UCLI mentor, please email . To become a UCLI mentee, please enroll here.
ADVANCEMENT
COMMITTEE
Chaired by Matt Durham and Jacey Skinner
One of UCLI’s key missions is to support and encourage professional advancement for diverse attorneys. As a continuation of the mentoring efforts developed by the Education Committee, UCLI is developing an initiative that supports attorneys by providing mentoring and advancement opportunities from the time an attorney enters the legal profession in Utah and throughout her or his legal career.
As a particular area of focus, UCLI will promote equity and inclusion on Utah’s bench by identifying and preparing qualified judicial candidates with diverse backgrounds and assisting the candidates during the appointment process.
ORGANIZATIONAL
INCLUSION
Chaired by James Sorenson
UCLI’s Organizational Inclusion Committee works with attorneys, legal employers, and Utah’s business community to develop programs, including a UCLI Certification Program, to ensure inclusive work environments, satisfy client diversity requirements, and provide relevant training. UCLI will also assist with inclusion training and practices for the judiciary to help eliminate potential biases on the bench.
For more information about the UCLI Certification Program, click HERE.
TRACKING PROGRESS
COMMITTEE
Chaired by John Baldwin
The committee has begun developing surveys of lawyers, institutions, firms and groups with legal departments to provide a baseline of current diversity and inclusion efforts to recruit, retain, and advance diverse attorneys. The committee works with representatives of the affinity groups, along with a representative of the Utah Disability Center, to ensure the survey requests information that will be helpful to all groups involved. UCLI’s first survey to law firms is expected to be administered this summer and published in the fall of 2019.
