Aida Neimarlija is the Advisor and past Executive Director of the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion. Aida immigrated to the United States as a refugee in 1994. She recently served as the General Counsel for the Larry H. Miller Automotive group and is currently leading the Larry H. Miller Real Estate group’s legal department.
After a brief stay in New York City, she and her family took a three-day train ride and moved to Utah. Aida has called Utah home since, completing both her undergraduate and Juris Doctor degrees at the University of Utah.
After earning her Political Science and Economics degrees, Aida was a legislative intern with the Utah Attorney General’s Office where she worked with the Attorney General in promoting legislation benefiting minorities and the underprivileged members of the Utah community. During law school, she interned at the Securities and Exchange Commission, served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Judge William A. Thorne, Jr. in the Utah Court of Appeals, and was a part of the prosecution team at the Special Department for War Crimes of the Prosecutor’s Office in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As an attorney, Aida has litigated various cases in both state and federal courts, including commercial and business disputes, intellectual property disputes, real estate disputes, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, legal malpractice cases and others. She has conducted bench and jury trials both as first and second chair and has obtained significant results for clients. Before becoming UCLI’s Executive Director, she was a partner at Gross & Rooney and at Burbidge Mitchell and Gross where she practiced for eight years. Before that, she also practiced at an international litigation firm Howrey LLP where she worked in the areas of Securities Litigation and Commercial Trial, focusing on complex commercial matters such as accountant’s liability defense, copyright infringement litigation, and contract disputes.
Aida most enjoys her time with children and husband. Her other passions
include giving back to the community and exploring other places, cultures,
and cuisines.
PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC INVOLVEMENT
- UCLI Interim Executive Director, 2019
- Utah Appellate Courts Nominating Commission, 2017-2021
- Board Member, Salt Lake County Bar Organization, 2012–present
- Board Member, Federal Bar Association, 2014–present
- Member, Utah Minority Bar Association, 2008–present
- Member, David K. Watkins – Sutherland II American Inn of Court, 2010-present
- President, Women Lawyers of Utah, 2012-2014
- Chair of Membership and Publicity, Women Lawyers of Utah, 2009-2011
- Ex Officio Utah State Bar Commissioner, 2014-2015
- Board Member, Annual Women’s Leadership Conference, 2014
- Committee Member, National Association of Women Judges (“NAWJ”) Annual Conference, 2015
HONORS & AWARDS
- Utah State Bar Dorathy Merrill Brothers Award for Advancement of
Women in the Legal Profession, 2021 - University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College Young Alumna of the Year,
2017 - Utah State Bar Young Lawyer of the Year, 2014
- Rising Star Honoree to Mountain States Super Lawyers; Personal
Injury Plaintiff Work, 2012-present
EDUCATION
- University of Utah (B.A. 2002, Political Science, Economics)
- University of Utah (German, minor)
- University of Utah (International Relations Certificate)
- S. J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah (J.D. 2008)
BAR & COURT ADMISSIONS
- Utah State Bar (2008)
- Utah State District Court, District of Utah (2008)
- Utah Supreme Court (2015)
- United States Court of Federal Claims (2015)