The Utah Center for Legal Inclusion strives to make a positive impact within the legal field in Utah. A program that UCLI is proud to spearhead is the Utah Law Student Mentorship program. The program fosters working relationships between two practicing attorneys and a law student enrolled in a Utah law school. Currently, 30 students from both the University of Utah and Brigham Young University’s law school participate in the program, and 76 volunteer attorney mentors. The program’s main mission is to empower underrepresented students by utilizing attorneys from similar backgrounds to guide them through the journey of going from law student to practicing attorney. To date, we have had over 100 attorneys participate in the program, and through the dedication from the staff at UCLI, mentors, and students’ work we have been able to make long-lasting changes for law students in Utah.
On Friday, February 10th, 2023, UCLI hosted an in-person social for the Utah Law Student Mentorship program. The social was an etiquette dinner, open for free to all attorneys and mentees who participate in the program. The dinner was hosted at the Alta Club in Salt Lake City around 6 pm. Over 50 people attended and participated in the evening. We were fortunate to have Justice Paige Petersen to welcome the dinner as a guest speaker, and BYU Law Associate Dean Shannon Grandy Larsen as the main presenter. Dean Larsen created a presentation to educate and remind attendees of the proper etiquette rules to follow in professional legal situations. The presentation was accompanied by a three-course meal and an insightful PowerPoint show. Mentors and mentees had the opportunity to introduce themselves and practice etiquette at the event. Justice Petersen and Dean Larsen stressed the importance of having sharp social skills as an attorney, and how often those social skills translate into being able to foster great working relationships with clients. Throughout her presentation, Dean Larsen intertwined teaching lessons about etiquette in the workplace and at the dinner table. The skills reflected not only professionalism but a keen understanding of how social skills could lead to being a better lawyer for clients. The presentation was accompanied by real-life practice at the dinner table. Mentees were able to apply these lessons with the attorneys who participate in our mentoring program. Furthermore, this dinner allowed mentees to expand their network. Overall, the dinner was a huge success and we would like to thank both Justice Paige Petersen and Dean Shannon Grandy Larsen for donating their time. We are also very grateful to PLEDGE co-chair Sadé Turner, and thank her for her vision, leadership, and time in executing this event and in directing PLEDGE programming.
Lastly, the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion would like to thank the law firms that have been generous enough to sponsor this event and support UCLI’s mission. Their support gives UCLI the opportunity to positively impact the future of Utah and ultimately create a better system for Utahns statewide. From everyone at UCLI, we would like to give a special thank you to the sponsoring legal organizations below:
Family Law Section
Dispute Resolution Section
Litigation Section
Michael Best
Kirton McConkie
Federal Bar Association
Attendees of the ULSM Program Etiquette Dinner
