Across the United States, people of faith have long helped shape our legal system. From Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of only a handful of Jewish justices in U.S. history, to Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Protestant justice in nearly thirty years, our courts have been strengthened by a wide range of beliefs and moral traditions. These perspectives influence not only how laws are interpreted, but how justice itself is understood and pursued.
Here in Utah, faith and community are deeply woven into the state’s identity. According to the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, roughly 76 percent of Utahns identify with a religion.¹ Faith is not merely a private matter in Utah, it often shapes family life, community involvement, and civic engagement.
Utah is often perceived as religiously uniform, largely because The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is headquartered in Salt Lake City. While that influence is undeniable, the state’s religious landscape has become increasingly diverse. Pew Research shows that nearly half of Utah’s population now identifies with a religion other than Latter-day Saint or does not identify with a religion at all.² Within that half are numerous Christian denominations alongside Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and other faith traditions. This challenges the idea that there is a single religious experience in Utah and invites deeper conversations about belonging.
As Utah’s population becomes less homogeneous, it is essential that individuals from all backgrounds feel seen, valued, and represented in every aspect of civic life. The legal profession is no exception. Law touches people at their most vulnerable moments – during disputes, crises, and life-changing decisions. When attorneys feel able to bring their full identities into their work, including their faith, they are often better equipped to serve clients with empathy, integrity, and understanding.
UCLI’s newest outreach video highlights five attorneys practicing in Utah, each with a unique religious background. Together, their stories demonstrate that faith is not something to be hidden in the legal field, but something that can be thoughtfully and respectfully integrated. Rather than undermining professionalism, faith can deepen a lawyer’s sense of responsibility and purpose.
Michael Patrick O’Brien, a Catholic attorney, reflects on the Christian call to seek justice, often asking himself, “Am I doing that? Am I being that? Am I living that?” His faith serves as a moral compass, shaping how he approaches his work and the people he represents. That internal reflection reinforces accountability, not only to the law, but to a broader sense of justice.
Similarly, Remington “Jiro” Johnson, a Salt Lake City public defender and practicing Buddhist, explains that his faith helps him “find a calmer way to deal with things”. Working with clients who are often at the lowest points of their lives requires patience and clarity. Johnson’s Buddhist practice allows him to remain grounded, present, and compassionate in high-stress situations, qualities that directly benefit the people he serves.
These stories highlight a broader truth: belonging matters. When attorneys feel they must suppress parts of their identity to succeed, the profession loses valuable perspectives. But when the legal community creates space for faith, identity, and authenticity, it becomes stronger, more humane, and more representative of the public it serves.
Utah’s legal community sits at a unique intersection of tradition and change. The challenge, and opportunity, is to ensure that as the profession grows, it remains inclusive. Faith does not need to divide the legal field; when approached with mutual respect, it can be a bridge that fosters understanding and trust.
Faith and belonging matter because they remind us that the law is ultimately practiced by people, for people, within communities shaped by lived experience, conviction, and care. When attorneys are able to bring their full selves into their work, the legal profession becomes not only more inclusive, but more just.
The stories shared in the UCLI video ‘Belief and Belonging in Utah’s Legal Community’ offer a thoughtful glimpse into how faith, identity, and belonging show up in the real lives of Utah attorneys. Taking a few moments to listen to their experiences is an opportunity to better understand the values that guide Utah’s legal community, and to reflect on how those values shape the pursuit of justice. Please watch the video here and share with anyone who may be interested, including future attorneys of various faith backgrounds.
UCLI offers special thanks to the Labor & Employment Law Section, for their generous donation that facilitated the creation of this video. UCLI also gratefully acknowledges videographer and editor Isaac Rascon of Sterling Media for his skillful work in capturing these stories and bringing them together so effectively.
¹ Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, Utah Demographic Characteristics: Religious Affiliation, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, May 2024, d36oiwf74r1rap.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DivDataBook-Religion-May2024.pdf.
² Pew Research Center, “People in Utah,” Religious Landscape Study, Pew Research Center, 2024, www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/state/utah/?selectedYear=2024.
