On April 22nd, 2026, the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion (UCLI) hosted its fifth annual fundraising luncheon at the Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek. The luncheon serves as a significant fundraising event, financially supporting UCLI’s non-profit work to advance the goals of fairness, opportunity, and inclusion in Utah’s legal profession. The event was attended by over 200 guests representing Utah attorneys, firms, law schools, and other organizations dedicated to improving inclusion in Utah’s legal community.
The event began with a warm introduction from Jonathan Hafen, attorney at Parr Brown Gee & Loveless. Next, attendees heard from Carla Swenson-Haslam, an attorney representing Event Sponsor Kirton McConkie. Afterwards, Shawn Ferrin, CEO and Board Chair of Impact Sponsor Parsons Behle & Latimer, addressed the audience. Both speakers emphasized the importance and value of inclusion in the legal profession. Following their remarks, a video presentation revealed the recipient of the Utah Legal Inclusion Award: Intermountain Health’s Legal Department, and Greg Matis, Chief Legal Officer, received the award on behalf of his team.
Attendees then heard from the event’s keynote speakers, Dr. Susan Madsen and Nubia Peña, in a fireside discussion. Dr. Susan Madsen, a thought leader on promoting opportunity for women, shared important insights from her extensive research about the role of acknowledging our differences. Acknowledging our differences in identity and background is necessary if we hope to create the change we advocate for. Nubia Peña, a nationally recognized advocate, shared touching stories about her work as an attorney and the importance of recognizing the humanity of the people we work with in the legal profession. Her stories illuminated the value of all perspectives and experiences in the field, especially concerning advocacy for marginalized children and vulnerable persons often overlooked within the justice system.
Following this powerful conversation, audience members watched UCLI’s video: “Building Impact Together: Celebrating UCLI’s PLEDGE Program”. In the video, Christina Jepson, UCLI co-president, informed viewers about UCLI’s initiatives. Along with education about UCLI’s programs, the video allowed attendees to hear directly from students who have been positively impacted by UCLI. These positive impacts ranged from learning effective LSAT study techniques, building a professional identity through networking, and gaining access to a variety of professional opportunities. After the video presentation, attorney Nate Alder shared his personal experiences with UCLI and encouraged audience members to support UCLI’s non-profit work empowering Utah’s future legal leaders. Luncheon attendees considered ‘the power of one’ as they saw the impact of adding just one drop of food coloring to a jar of water, transforming the entire body of water into a vibrant color. They also wrote a postcard to themselves; they can look forward to receiving those in the mail in six months – keep an eye out for these special pieces of mail! Finally, Jon Hafen concluded the event, and auction items were distributed to the highest bidders.
The Utah Center for Legal Inclusion extends its gratitude to all in attendance and a special thanks to all who donated to support Utah’s next generation of legal professionals. We are humbled to report that greater funds were raised through this event than any previous fundraiser luncheon, and we thank each of you for your support. We also express our gratitude to the Utah Bar Foundation and the Florence J. Gillmor Foundation for their matching grants that allowed the impact of all individual giving to be tripled. We hope to continue building impact together, advancing opportunity in the legal profession for all.
Event Sponsor: Kirton McConkie
Impact Sponsor: Parsons Behle & Latimer
Scholarship Sponsors: Keller Preece, Ray Quinney & Nebeker, Rocky Mountain Advisory, and Spencer Fane
Table Sponsors: BYU Law, Fabian VanCott, Greenberg Traurig, Lowenstein Sandler, Parr Brown Gee & Loveless, Strong & Hanni, Utah Minority Bar Association, and the Young Lawyers Division
Sustaining Sponsors: Holland & Hart, Intermountain Health, Keller Preece, Kirton McConkie, Magleby Cataxinos, Maschoff Brennan, Parsons Behle & Latimer, Snell & Wilmer, Spencer Fane, Utah Bar Foundation, and Workman Nydegger
Jonathan Hafen, UCLI Board Member, emcees the Luncheon.
Dr. Susan Madsen and Nubia Peña engage the audience throughout their fireside discussion.
Dr. Madsen shares insights into data and research that highlights the importance of inclusion in the state.
Nubia Peña sharing insightful comments about her experience as an attorney.
Jon Hafen presents the 2026 Utah Legal Inclusion Award to Greg Matis, Chief Legal Officer at Intermountain Health.
Members of Intermountain Health’s Legal Department celebrate their award.
Luncheon attendees cheer on award recipients and other contributors.
Nate Alder presents on the ‘power of one’ and engages attendees in object lessons and writing postcards to themselves
Each table considers the ‘power of one’ as they add a single drop of food coloring to their jar of water.
Attendees write encouraging postcards to their future selves.
UCLI leaders and friends gather for a photo.
Christina Jepson, UCLI Co-President, celebrates with Kassandra Reid, sixth grade Meadowlark Mentoring participant.
Pre-law students network with attorneys at the event.
Pre-law students cheer on the award recipients at the event.
Nubia Peña meets with Utah’s future generation of attorneys.
