Jon Wayas

UCLI recently awarded the UCLI LSAT Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship to four recipients. 2023 marks the third time the scholarships have been awarded. The scholarship is aimed at expanding opportunities for students pursuing legal education who have a strong record of community service and a commitment to advancing equity and inclusion. College students, recent graduates, and others in the state of Utah anticipating taking the LSAT within the current or following year when the scholarship is granted are invited to apply. We congratulate the winners and wish them luck as they take the next step in their journeys toward becoming legal professionals. Learn more about the four incredible 2023 recipients below:

Victoria Roberts

I am currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Utah Valley University, I have also been trying to gain practical legal experience through working as a paralegal for the past two years. As a first generation college student, I have had to navigate completing my education while balancing real-world work. In addition to my studies and paralegal role, I volunteer time as a translator for immigration attorneys. Through this work, I have been able to support immigrants and develop my language skills. As a political science major, I am deeply interested in policy, law, and social change. I have high hopes to apply my education and experiences to a career in law after graduation. I am proud to be a first generation college student and look forward to all the opportunities ahead as I complete my degree. I’m extremely grateful for this scholarship opportunity as I make my way towards applying to law school.

Khai Ronquillo

My name is Khai Ronquillo and I am a senior at the University of Utah double-majoring in Political Science and Economics. I am originally from Las Vegas, NV. As a first-generation pre-law student it has been very rewarding to strive towards my career aspirations of being the first lawyer in my family. Funding law school is difficult and scholarships like these mean the world for helping me overcome financial barriers. Receiving this scholarship from the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion is truly an honor and it excites me to think that I will be taking the LSAT soon and working towards achieving a life goal. 

Gabriela Villalobos

Gabriela Villalobos graduated from the University of Utah as a first-generation student in May 2022, earning her bachelor’s degree in sociology and international studies with a minor in economics. Throughout her university experience, she engaged in multiple organizations dedicated to breaking down barriers that exist for first-generation and Latinx students in the systems of higher education through college + career readiness and community belonging. With a passion for community and economic development, she previously interned at Accion Opportunity Fund, a non-profit supporting small business owners. Gabby also serves as a mentor in the We Rise First-Generation College Program. Currently, she is a financial crime analyst at Goldman Sachs, merging her interest in law and finance.

Erica Webb

Erica Webb is a senior at Brigham Young University studying economics, math, and environmental science. She is passionate about women’s issues and environmental stewardship. Recently, she has spent much of her free time working with an environmental advocacy group focused on preserving the Great Salt Lake. She plans to attend law school, and eventually hopes to use her JD to work for the government or a nonprofit in order to help marginalized communities and the environment. She is extremely grateful for the financial relief this scholarship will offer as she prepares for law school, since her husband plans to apply to and attend medical school concurrently.

On Friday, October 20, 2023 the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion held the third UCLI Pre-law Symposium. This was made possible by the University of Utah SJ Quinney College of Law, and their talented and capable event and IT staff. This marks the second Symposium held with the school, and UCLI is grateful for their generosity and expertise. The event was attended by 54 students who ranged from freshman undergraduates to professionals seeking career changes.

The symposium continues to help close the gap between a legal education and the current place a given student finds themselves. This is achieved through support from the admissions offices of SJ Quinney College of Law, represented by Associate Dean Reyes Aguilar, and the BYU J Reuben Clark Law School, represented by Assistant Dean Tony Grover. Students also heard from Justin Zieman, the Regional Director of AccessLex Institute, a non-profit which provides support and resources to pre-law and law students.

The second panel gave attendees perspectives on what to expect during law school. The panel consisted of four current law students, Rachel Passey and Bree Spaulding from SJ Quinney, and Elena Guanuna and Jehicob Torres from J. Reuben Clark. The panel was moderated by attorney Gabriela Mena of the firm Skordas & Caston. The panel provides a great opportunity to understand what to expect in law school, and provides encouragement to attendees that law school is hard but manageable.

For the second year attendees had the privilege to be taught in a mock class given by Associate Dean Louisa Heiny of SJ Quinney. Dean Heiny taught a criminal law case in an approachable and engaging way. The mock class is a great way for students to understand what to expect from a law school class, and to begin to gain confidence that they can see themselves being successful in this type of setting. 

The final panel of the day was delivered in partnership with the Utah Black Lawyers Association. Attorney Samantha Frazier of Coil Law was joined by panelists Zakia Richardson, in-house counsel at Pluralsight, Engels Tejeda, Partner at Holland & Hart, and Beatryx Washington, General Counsel at OC Tanner. The panel highlighted the breadth of opportunities available to attorneys once they enter practice. It was also a chance to highlight how attorneys navigate cultural and life balance challenges to find success in their careers. 

The day ended with a keynote address by US Attorney Trina Higgins. Trina is the first woman in Utah to be presidentially appointed to the US Attorney position. Trina has been an ardent supporter of the UCLI Pre-law Symposium from the first event. Last April she gave of her time to visit with attendees at our first Symposium. It was a pleasure to have her back as the keynote to hear her amazing story, and words of encouragement. Trina has had an amazing career, and has shown through her actions how to build more equitable and inclusive work environments.

UCLI expresses gratitude to all those who participated in creating this educational and inspirational experience for those who attend. We again express our gratitude to the team at SJ Quinney who made this event possible. We also express thanks to our sponsors, Ballard Spahr, Michael Best, Nelson & Naegle, The Lone Peak Valuation Group, and the ADR Section of the Utah State Bar. We are grateful for the participation of these incredible attendees and wish them well on their journeys to law school.

Utah and UCLI were well represented at the Federal Bar Association’s (FBA) National Convention last month in Memphis, Tennessee. A five member panel made up of Jen Tomchack (Tomchack Skolout), Ross Romero (Inclusion Strategies), Michele Oldroyd (Utah State Bar and UCLI Leadership Council), Melinda Bowen (Snow, Christensen & Martineau and UCLI Co-President), and Jon Wayas (UCLI Associate Director) delivered a CLE presentation moderated by Jon Hafen. Jon Hafen is a UCLI board member, and was sworn-in as the new President of the Federal Bar Association at the convention. The presentation was titled, “Community Engagement Efforts to Diversify the Legal Community – Examples from Utah.” The presentation was well attended and gave panelists the chance to highlight the wide ranging programs and collaborations taking place to make Utah’s legal market more inclusive and diverse.

The program began with Ross Romero painting the picture of Utah’s changing demographics, and why diversity is so important to the legal market and to the business community in Utah. Michele Oldroyd followed by recounting what is happening from the Utah State Bar perspective with rulemaking and an increased effort on attorney wellbeing and mental health. Jen Tomchack was able to show the great work the Utah chapter of the FBA has been doing to support inclusion, specifically in regards to women in the legal profession. This includes the “Staying in the Game” initiative which kicks off with a CLE event on October 5, 2023. Melinda Bowen highlighted the great work being done by affinity groups like the Utah Minority Bar Association, LGBT and Allied Lawyers of Utah, Women Lawyers of Utah, and the Utah Black Lawyers Association. Melinda, who is a founding member of UCLI, shared the story of the organization’s creation. This led into the final portion where Jon Wayas shared about a number of the great programs and scholarships UCLI is currently offering. The presentation ended with a short Q&A.

UCLI is grateful to Jon Hafen and the FBA Convention’s planning committee for giving this group the opportunity to share the great work going on here in the State of Utah. UCLI continues to have great opportunities to share and teach through Continuing Legal Education (CLE). We hope you will join us soon for the final installment of the “Pathways to Inclusion” CLE series for 2023, and the great offerings we will have available throughout 2024.

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Jehicob is a 3L at J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. He is a first-generation Mexican American and Spanish was his first language. Jehicob was born in Provo, Utah but grew up a few minutes north in Orem. 

Jehicob’s parents inspired him to work hard and not give up on his dreams. His father worked at a frozen foods factory and his mother worked at a candy factory when they first arrived in the USA. Their example of endurance and pressing forward despite being far away from home and surrounded by a different culture and language has inspired Jehicob to keep going even when things seem hard.  

Jehicob did his undergraduate studies at Utah Valley University where he was part of the Honors Program. He also volunteered with the Latino Initiative on campus. During his time at UVU, he was part of the winning team for the 2018 Social Innovation Challenge where his team looked at the collateral consequences on children from having an incarcerated parent. This experience changed his perspective on a career choice. He wanted to advocate for people and help them navigate a complex web of legal jargon and rules. He started the Wolverine Pre-Law Association to help pre-law students study for the LSAT and connect with law schools and practicing attorneys. He is proud to say that the Wolverine Pre-Law Association continues to this day. 

During his time at the law school, Jehicob externed at the Utah Supreme Court with Justice Paige Peterson. He has also participated in trial advocacy and the moot court team. His team traveled to Phoenix and won first place at the Uvaldo Herrera Moot Court competition hosted by the Hispanic National Bar Association. He has also volunteered at the BYU Community Legal Clinic and has helped with immigration matters like adjustment of status, applying for asylum, and other matters that the community needs. It has been a blessing to help individuals and families navigate the legal system and find relief. He has also spent time advocating for change at the local level to help the community. In 2022, he helped lobby for HB222 that reduced the fee for an application and renewal of a driving privilege card. During this past General Session he helped lobby for HB102 which allowed asylees, refugees, TPS visa holders, and those with a pending permanent residency application to qualify for in-state tuition. He also worked with Senator Weiler on SB132 to allow private companies fingerprint applicants for a driving privilege card. This bill was designed to reduce the backlog at the Bureau of Criminal Identification and help streamline the application process for a driving privilege card. Each of those bills passed nearly unanimously in the legislature. 

Jehicob is currently working part time at the law firm of Trujillo Acosta in their civil litigation department. He enjoys trial work and hopes to be a trial attorney after law school. After graduating, He will go to New Jersey for a year to clerk for Judge Alberto Rivas. Jehicob is inspired by Justice Thurgood Marshall’s quote that “the legal system can force open doors and sometimes even knock down walls. But it cannot build bridges. That job belongs to you and me.” He strongly believes that the law can be used for good to build people up, to strengthen communities, and secure a promising future for everyone.

Jehicob Torres

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Bree is a 3L at the S.J. Quinney College of Law. Originally from California, she was surprised by Utah’s lack of diversity and some of the inequities she saw. This led her to pursue a career in public interest law. During her time at SJQ, she has had the opportunity to extern at the Disability Law Center and at Lambda Legal. These experiences solidified her commitment to advocating for marginalized communities. As the grandchild of immigrants and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, she recognizes the work done by those before her to create a pathway for her into the legal profession. As a Durham Fellow, she hopes to continue that work by lighting the path for other marginalized individuals.

Bree Spaulding

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UCLI would like to congratulate and welcome our 2023-2024 Durham Fellows, Bree Spaulding from the SJ Quinney College of Law and Jehicob Torres from J. Reuben Clark Law School. The fellowship is named in honor of Justice Christine Durham. This fellowship is intended to help facilitate the legal education of an individual who shows a demonstrated commitment to and great potential for pushing forward the cause of justice, equity, and inclusiveness in Utah’s legal profession. Someone who, like Justice Durham, will make the legal field a better place for all who follow.

The Durham Fellowship is awarded to two law students each year (one from each Utah law school). It includes a stipend which may be used toward tuition, housing, living expenses, etc. Fellows partner with UCLI Leadership Council and staff on law school programming. We had a wealth of incredible candidates apply this fall which is a testament to the incredible work our law schools are doing here in Utah.

Please read more about Bree and Jehicob in these news articles.

We would like to thank the many individuals who have donated this year, making the 2023-2024 Durham Fellowship possible. 

Bree Spaulding

Jehicob Torres

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On June 27, 2023, UCLI, in its continued partnership with Inclusion Strategies and the Utah State Bar held the third session in the “Pathways to Inclusion” CLE series. This was a hybrid CLE with 25 people joining in-person, and over 200 joining via Zoom. This panel for this session included Tyler Buswell, Shareholder at Kirton McConkie, Judge Dianna Gibson, Utah Third District Court, Barbara Melendez, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging at BYU Law, and Isabel Moreno, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at the University of Utah SJ Quinney College of Law. The panel was moderated by UCLI Associate Director, Jon Wayas. 

This session focused on inclusion and diversity efforts being made in recruitment, retention, and advancement. The law school representatives were given the opportunity to highlight successful programs they have implemented in the last several years. They also highlighted the challenges they are facing now, and potential challenges on the horizon.

 Mr. Buswell highlighted the successful Inclusion Fellows program Kirton McConkie has undertaken in partnership with Intermountain Health. Now in its second year, the program takes one student from each of the Utah law schools to be a part of Kirton’s summer associate program. These fellows also work for a number of hours each week with Intermountain’s in-house counsel team. These fellows receive normal summer associate compensation along with a tuition scholarship furnished by the Intermountain Health. UCLI aids in the application and interview process for the fellowship.

Judge Gibson highlighted examples of successful inclusion initiatives she was part of in her private sector career before joining the bench. She also highlighted the new Utah State Court Common Thread program. This program is aimed to encourage more individuals to consider ascending to the bench. This program is still in the planning phase. It will include programming to meet people at all stages of their legal careers, from law school, early-mid career, and even seasoned attorneys thinking of joining the judiciary.

The session also included great discussion with audience members. We appreciate everyone who has participated in the series thus far. There will be a fourth and final session in this series later in the year. There will be plenty to discuss and we hope you will join us then.

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The Utah Center for Legal Inclusion is pleased to announce this year’s recipients for the Bar Review Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship.

Congratulations to the seven recipients of UCLI’s 2023 Bar Review Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship: Jessica Arthurs, Esther Johnson, Nicole Johnston, Emelie Klott, Nanette Pawelek, Joseph Rivera-Delavega, and Debbie Vargas.

Jessica Arthurs

Jessica graduates from the S.J. Quinney College of Law with her Juris Doctor and a certificate in International Law. She is a native Utahn and earned her undergraduate from the University of Utah in Middle Eastern Studies. She served as this year’s President of the Student Bar Association and has served on the Public Interest Law Organization’s leadership team. She has worked for the Pro Bono Initiative as Street Law Director and is this year’s Rocky Rognlie Fellow for the Pro Bono Initiative. She is passionate about making legal services more accessible to her community here and abroad.

Esther Johnson

Esther Johnson is a recent graduate of the University of Utah S. J. Quinney College of Law and has a BA in Spanish from Brigham Young University. Esther is passionate about helping immigrants and refugees as well as increasing access to justice for marginalized groups. During law school, Esther worked with Catholic Community Services and Utah Legal Services as well as several private immigration firms. She has also participated in experiential law classes centered on regulatory reform of the legal profession as an avenue for increasing access to legal services. Esther speaks Spanish and Portuguese and loves Latin American poetry. In her free time, Esther enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and mountain biking.

Nicole Johnston

Nicole Johnston recently graduated from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law with her juris doctorate. Prior to law school, Nicole completed a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Socio-Legal Studies at the University of Denver and a Master’s in Education at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. During her time as a law student, Nicole served as the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Chair for the Student Bar Association and the Development Director for the Women’s+ Law Caucus. Nicole also externed with the ACLU of Utah and the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah. In her work, Nicole has sought to make the Utah legal community a more inclusive space and improve access to justice. Nicole looks forward to continuing this work after the Bar and finding opportunities to learn and grow in the legal profession.  

Emelie Klott

Emelie Klott is a current third year law student at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. Throughout law school, Emelie has been involved in the Pro Bono Initiative where she served as a volunteer and worked as a Student Director and Fellow for the Family Law Site. With the Pro Bono Initiative, she has been able to help provide legal advice to low-income individuals throughout the state of Utah. Emelie has also gained invaluable legal experience through her work in criminal defense at Salt Lake Legal Defenders Association, as an extern in juvenile defense, and in family law. After law school, Emelie is excited to join Utah’s wonderful legal community and to continue her work in family law at Cordell & Cordell where she will work to ensure fair treatment for fathers in custody cases. 

Nanette Pawelek

Nanette Pawelek is a current 3L at the University of Utah set to graduate in May 2023. She is a first-generation female law student and had a career as a university lecturer before changing course to law. She is passionate about public service and mentorship, as evidenced by recent work with displaced Ukrainians and years of teaching U.S. military members overseas in Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Japan, and Germany.  

Throughout law school, Nanette mentored prospective and incoming first-year law students and has been involved in notable school organizations, including the Women’s Law Caucus, Students for Ukraine, and the Pro Bono Initiative. She organized clothing drives, fundraised for supplies, and helped collect roughly 30 duffel bags full of medical supplies that she and a few other law students took to Ukraine in May 2022. She also volunteered at a refugee center in Poland and a supply tent for women and children on the Polish/Ukrainian border.  

During her 3L year, Nanette participated in the University of Utah’s Refugee Law Clinic, helping Ukrainians apply for asylum in Utah. The asylum work led to leading a virtual legal English-speaking club for Ukrainian attorneys hoping to expand their employment opportunities. In addition, Nanette externed at the Legal Defenders Association (LDA), working with indigent clients who she says, “need and deserve strong and compassionate advocates.” She looks forward to learning more and plans to work in criminal defense after she graduates from law school.  

Joseph Rivera de la Vega

Joseph Rivera is a first generation law school graduate. As a 22 year old lawyer, Joseph’s main goal is to help advocate for Criminal Justice reform, comprehensive immigration reform, and to make a run for Salt Lake City Mayor by 2026. Joseph was a part of UCLI’s first interns in 2019 and is committed to furthering diversity throughout the legal system by supporting UCLI. 

Debbie Vargas

Debbie Vargas just completed her third year of law school at the S.J. Quinney College of Law. She did her undergraduate degree at the University of Utah and double majored in Honors Psychology and Criminology, and also obtained a minor in Sociology. She has always been passionate about criminal law and is currently working at the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office. 

Jessica Arthurs

Esther Johnson

Nicole Johnston

Emilie Klott

Nanette Pawelek

Joseph Rivera de la Vega

Debbie Vargas

UCLI would like to thank the generous sponsors and partners who have made these scholarships possible:

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Throughout 2022, the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion’s staff members continued offering DEI training to law firms, organizations, and governing bodies throughout Utah. UCLI offers these training sessions to any interested legal employers in Utah. These sessions can also help fulfill requirements for participants in UCLI’s Certification Program. Popular topics for these training sessions include implicit bias, review of diversity data for Utah and Utah’s legal community, and best practices for building inclusion in the workplace.

These sessions are often held as a lunch time meeting with 1 credit of Ethics CLE being awarded to attendees. Here are the firms and organizations UCLI has been able to reach in this last year:

• Utah State Bar – Character and Fitness Committee
• Strong & Hanni
• Snell & Wilmer
• TraskBritt
• Kirton & McConkie
• Mountain Mediation
• Greenberg Traurig
• Dentons
• Utah Association of Legal Administrators
• Department of the Interior – Salt Lake City Office

We are grateful to each firm or organization who has graciously hosted us and appreciate your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. If your firm or organization is interested in having UCLI present please contact us at .

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The Meadowlark Initiative began in the 2020 school year. Mr. John Arthur, who is known by his students as ‘Captain’, and UCLI have teamed up each year to provide mentoring to his sixth grade class. UCLI attorneys and law students are paired with sixth grade students from the class. Each Friday mentors and students meet via Zoom. Captain briefly explains the writing assignment the students have been working on, and then attorneys and students are sent to breakout rooms to work one-on-one to help improve writing skills. There are different topics every week. They may be given writing prompts like “Was it fair that women and children were given priority as the Titanic was sinking?”, or are given assignments like writing engaging and informative autobiographical essays. We are excited to aid Captain, who was designated the 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year, in his enthusiasm and vision for his students’ learning. The hope for the mentoring is to help the students build confidence and dream big for their lives as they transition into junior high school. It also provides the opportunity for these students to meet and be mentored by attorneys who are friendly and genuinely care about their success. For many of these students the mentoring is the first chance they’ve had to talk to attorneys.

Meadowlark Elementary is located in the Rose Park neighborhood of Salt Lake City and nearly 75% of the students are from a diverse background. Each year approximately 25-35 attorneys and law students participate as mentors. The commitment is minimal- 30 minutes on most Fridays during the school year – yet incredibly impactful. In letters to their mentors, students shared the following sentiments: 

“You increased my writing. Now my writing skills are better than ever! I also want to be like you when I grow up and I know what I want that to look like.”

“Thank you for helping me with my writing. I really like talking to you about the projects we did in class. Writing was hard at first, but then you helped me a lot and it got easier! I am a better student thanks to your help.”

“Captain chose me you to me because I’m speaking Spanish and now I write you a letter in English! Thank you for everything you helped me in what I did not understand.”

Recruiting for each school year runs from August through September. If you are interested please contact UCLI Associate Director, Jon Wayas at . Everyone is welcome. However, there is extra need and opportunity for mentors who speak Spanish.

Check out this 2022 video of Captain and a handful of the incredible UCLI Meadowlark volunteer mentors here.