News

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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UCLI was honored to present at the 17th annual Governor’s Native American Summit at the Sorensen Student Center at Utah Valley University on Friday, June 23, 2023. The event was hosted by the Utah Division of Indian Affairs and is the only event in the state where State and Tribal leaders, community stakeholders, educators, and community members converge to learn more about the issues and concerns impacting Utah’s American Indian population. This year’s theme was Connecting Our Communities: Reverence for Our Elders, Our Youth, Ourselves, and Each Other. 

Cliff Parkinson, Chair of Community Outreach, and Kaitlyn Pieper, Executive Director, presented the UCLI breakout session. Cliff led off with a discussion of recent national tribal cases and highlighted the importance of having legal advocates fighting for Native American rights at the state and federal level. Kaitlyn then introduced UCLI’s purpose and programs, highlighting initiatives at the K-12, Pre-Law, and Law School levels. The UCLI First Generation outreach video was then displayed, which many attendees found very relatable. The last twenty minutes of the session was devoted to listening to feedback and suggestions from attendees about what their communities could benefit from and how UCLI could improve its outreach. We were honored to have among the audience members multiple individuals who plan to attend law school, as well as Larry Echo Hawk, a member of the Pawnee nation and a celebrated attorney. 

UCLI was grateful for the opportunity to attend such an incredible event and to learn from the many other presenters and sessions. Thank you to James Toledo and Dustin Jansen at the Utah Division of Indian Affairs for the chance to present. If anyone has additional suggestions for collaboration efforts between UCLI and Tribal communities, we welcome your feedback and introductions at .

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This month the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion had the opportunity to host a group of ten international visitors from Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. These visitors were invited to the United States under the auspices of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program as a Regional Project for the Near East and North Africa. While in the United States the program participants explored the topics of the Rule of Law and the U.S. Judicial System. Their program was arranged by CRDF Global. Nicholas Merrill and his colleagues at the Utah Global Diplomacy generously invited UCLI to host the group for an afternoon. 

On June 26, 2023, Mary Anne Davies and her colleagues at the Disability Law Center welcomed us into their beautiful facility and provided a tour of the building and a brief presentation about the Disability Law Center’s mission. We then met back in the boardroom and Kaitlyn Pieper, UCLI Executive Director, provided a demographic overview of Utah and Utah’s legal profession. Following this, we heard from a panel of experts including Jon Wayas, Associate Director at the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion; Michelle Oldroyd, Director of Professional Education & Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at the Utah State Bar; and Jon Puente, Director of the Office of Fairness, Equity, and Accountability at the Administrative Office of the Courts. The panel was interactive and responded to many audience questions, including questions about bias and discrimination in the court systems and racial dynamics in the United States. 

UCLI was honored to host such a distinguished group of legal professionals who are doing such incredible work to move justice forward in their home countries (names and home countries of participants listed below). Thank you to Nicholas Merrill and his colleagues at Utah Global Diplomacy for making this connection and to Mary Anne Davies and the Disability Law Center for hosting us at their lovely venue.

Egypt, Mr. Mohanad Mohamed Rasheed Elkholy

Egypt, Ms. Fatma Serageldin Khalil Mohamed

Israel, Ms. Nareman Shehadeh Zoabi 

Lebanon, Mr. Youssef Diab

Lebanon, Mr. Roland El Chartouni

Palestinian Territories, Mr. Kanan Alsourani

Palestinian Territories, Mr. Majdi Rabei

Qatar, Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Sulaiti

Saudi Arabia, Mr. Abdulrahman Rafea Alamary 

Saudi Arabia, Mr. Abdullah Mohammed Algar

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UCLI is honored to partner with Women of the World this summer to host a six-part series of free legal workshops open to all members of the community. The workshop topics thus far have included navigating the law in daily life, divorce and custody, and immigration. We welcome anyone who has an interest in expanding their knowledge regarding the law, particularly those with a refugee or immigrant background, and invite participation for the remaining topics, which include: workplace discrimination, general housing issues, as well as housing and rent discrimination.

On 22 June 2023, the third legal workshop in the series was hosted at the Women of the World office and presented by one of the UCLI board members, Geidy Achecar. Geidy owns her own law practice which focuses on personal injury cases, immigration law, and divorce/family law matters. She was able to share her in-depth knowledge on immigration matters to a large audience in Spanish, thanks to her native fluency in the language. The workshop attendees were very engaged and asked many questions, which Geidy helped answer as well as providing them with resources that allowed them to answer their own questions. There were also two recent college graduates in the audience who plan to attend law school. Geidy was able to share information with them about the upcoming Pre-Law Symposium and Pre-Law Fellowship.  

Geidy describes her own experience presenting at the event as follows:

“The demands of practicing make it hard to find time to serve our communities, this event was such a good reminder that especially for those who don’t have access to attorneys and may not know how to navigate the law, just a small amount of our time and training can make a huge difference in people’s lives. I loved being in community with the women who attended and the organizers who do the work daily.”

We would like to thank Geidy Achecar for sharing her expertise. We would also like to extend a thank you to Ghinwa Hneide, WoW’s case manager, for facilitating the event. Thank you also to Wings on Wheels, a Spice Kitchen Entrepreneur, for the fantastic catering.

Please also help us spread the word to your friends and neighbors with refugee and immigrant backgrounds; see the flyer below.

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Join us for future sessions of the workshops, and spread the word to your friends with refugee and immigrant backgrounds; flier below.

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Women of the World is a non-profit organization that offers free year-round case management and advocates for the self-reliance of their clients. They believe that all women can embrace who they are, define their future, and change the world. UCLI is honored to partner with Women of the World this summer to host a six-part series of free legal workshops open to all members of the community. The workshop topics include: navigating the law in daily life, divorce and custody, immigration, workplace discrimination, general housing issues, as well as housing and rent discrimination. We welcome anyone who has an interest in expanding their knowledge regarding the law, and particularly those who have a refugee or immigrant background. UCLI strives to foster a safe and inclusive organizational environment for all people and believe that no matter one’s age, ethnic background, economic or legal status, it is important to know their rights. 

On June 1st, 2023, the first legal workshop was hosted at The Women of the World’s office and was presented by one of UCLI’s board members, Abby Dizon-Maughan. She is an associate attorney at Parsons who advocates for diverse groups within the community. The legal workshop was an interactive and informational opportunity for all participants to learn and ask questions about their basic rights. Abby went over rights to an equal education, privacy in education, what is informed consent, and interactions with the police. According to Abby, these are especially important to know for people of color who are unaware of their basic rights. She also shared how fulfilled she is by volunteer opportunities, like this one:

 “I recently had an opportunity to participate in the Women of the World’s legal workshop program. There I met with people from our community who are learning to navigate through and adapt to a new community. Being welcomed into this group felt a little like coming home and reminded me of the challenges my own parents faced when they came to the United States and had to learn how to participate in a system that seemed so natural to everyone else around them. To be able to provide some guidance, answer their questions, and offer some solutions to problems that many of us don’t have to think about as we move through our daily lives replenished my exhausted energy reserves. The appreciation I felt was heartfelt and rejuvenating. It reminded me of why I wanted to become a lawyer and an advocate.”

We would like to thank Abby Dizon-Maughan for helping us bring the community together and educating those who attended. We would also like to extend a great thank you to Ghinwa Hneide, WoW’s case manager, for facilitating the event and for interpreting the workshop into Arabic for non-native English speakers. Thank you also to Kafe Mamai, a Spice Kitchen Entrepreneur, for providing delicious catered appetizers for the event. Everyone’s contributions have created a positive impact by helping those who attended understand their legal rights and privileges in Utah. 

Join us for future sessions of the workshops, and spread the word to your friends with refugee and immigrant backgrounds; flier below.

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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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On April 27, 2023, the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion held its Second Annual Fundraiser Luncheon “Stronger Together” at the Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek. We were grateful to be joined by 250 guests, representing large and small law firms across the state, Utah’s courts, and other organizations. We were especially grateful to be joined by this year’s Event Sponsor, Kirton McConkie, and the four Scholarship Sponsors: Kirkland & Ellis, Parsons Behle & Latimer, Ray Quinney & Nebeker, and Foley & Lardner. It was wonderful to be together in person as members of the legal community and to hear from the keynote speaker Dean Elizabeth Kronk Warner, dean of the S. J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah, and from Justice Christine M. Durham, former Justice and Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court and former co-chair of the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion, as well as from many other excellent speakers.

Program hosts Melinda Bowen and Kristen Olsen welcomed participants to the event, and introduced the speakers. First we heard from Tyler Buswell, who was representing the Event Sponsor, Kirton McConkie. Then we heard from Valeria Jimenez, a 2022 recipient of UCLI’s LSAT Preparation Scholarship and the former Public Outreach Coordinator at the Utah State Courts’ Office of Fairness and Accountability. Next we heard from KC Decker, a 2L at Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School and a recipient of the 2022 Utah Legal Inclusion Fellowship – an opportunity sponsored by Intermountain Health and Kirton McConkie. After KC, we heard from Breeze Parker, a 2L at Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School and a 2022-23 Justice Christine M. Durham Fellow. This Fellowship was announced at last year’s luncheon and funded through the generosity of attendees. Finally we hear from Zachary Scott Roemer, an associate at Kirkland & Ellis, and the co-chair of UCLI’s Tracking Progress Committee and K-12 Outreach Committee. Each of them shared personal experiences about their unique backgrounds and journeys to and through law school. 

Next, attendees were present for the debut of the newly published UCLI First Generation Outreach Video, featuring incredible first-generation students who are now a part of the legal community in Utah. You may view it here. 

Guests then heard from the keynote speaker, Dean Elizabeth Kronk Warner– the Jefferson B. & Rita E. Fordham Presidential Dean and Professor of Law at the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. She presented an incisive address on the way that Utah attorneys can aid in combating racism in our state. You may view a recording of her keynote address or find the slides here. 

Justice Christine Durham, who served as a justice of the Utah Supreme Court from 1982 to 2017 and as Chief Justice from 2002 to 2012, gave a brief address after this – sharing her perspective about why UCLI’s efforts matter and encouraging attendees to give generously. For anyone who was unable to donate at the event, you may donate here now. 

The Luncheon also featured a silent auction with twenty five items, including Tuacahn tickets, a private art class by Leslie Debry, and a private dinner by Chef Arturo Thompson. Many people took home these special offerings and we are very grateful for the kind support of everyone who donated items and all those who bid on them. 

We are deeply grateful to the many individuals who chose to donate at this event, and to the Florence J. Gillmor Foundation, who pledged to commit a matching grant to UCLI in the amount of the donations that were received at the Luncheon. Altogether, UCLI raised over $11,000 in individual donations, truly showing that we are stronger together and that our collective efforts can make a powerful difference. Attendees also had the opportunity to honor someone who has made a difference in their lives and to donate on their behalf; these names were submitted and displayed on screen and represented mentors, friends, loved ones, grandchildren, grandparents, or someone who helped them feel like they belonged in the legal profession. You can see the beautiful collection of inspirational people below. 

The silent auction proceeds, individual donations, and sponsorship proceeds will contribute to the UCLI programming that benefits current and future lawyers in our state. UCLI is grateful to all the guests that attended, spoke, and donated at this year’s luncheon, and looks forward to future events and the progress that will continue to be made toward change, justice, and equal representation within the legal profession in Utah.

Thank you to our Event Sponsor

Thank you to our Scholarship Sponsors: 

Kirkland & Ellis

Parsons Behle

Ray Quinney & Nebeker

Foley & Lardner

Thank you to our Table Sponsors:

Lowenstein Sandler

Keller Preece

Workman Nydegger

TraskBritt

Strong & Hanni

Greenberg Traurig

University of Utah S. J. Quinney College of Law

Parr Brown

Utah State Bar

Wilson Sonsini

Snell & Wilmer

Snow Christensen

Dorsey & Whitney

Holland & Hart

Fabian VanCott

Dentons

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This month the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion had the unique opportunity to host a group of ten international visitors from Austria, Denmark, India, Lebanon, the Maldives, Poland, the Republic of North Macedonia, Ukraine, and Venezuela. These visitors were invited to the United States under the auspices of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. While in the United States the program participants explored the topics of the Rule of Law and the U.S. Judicial System. Their program was arranged by CRDF Global. Nicholas Merrill and his colleagues at the Utah Center for Citizen Diplomacy generously invited UCLI to host the group for an afternoon. 

On February 21, 2023, Mary Anne Davies and her colleagues at the Disability Law Center welcomed us into their beautiful facility and provided a tour of the building and a brief presentation about the Disability Law Center’s mission. We then met back in the boardroom and Kaitlyn Pieper, UCLI Executive Director, provided a demographic overview of Utah and Utah’s legal profession. Following this, we heard from a panel of experts including Jon Wayas, Associate Director at the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion; Michelle Oldroyd, Director of Professional Education & Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at the Utah State Bar; and Jon Puente, Director of the Office of Fairness, Equity, and Accountability at the Administrative Office of the Courts. The panel was interactive and responded to many audience questions about affirmative action, gender issues in the legal profession, and racial dynamics in the United States. 

UCLI was honored to host such a distinguished group of legal professionals who are doing such incredible work to move justice forward in their home countries (names and home countries of participants listed below). Thank you to Nicholas Merrill and his colleagues at the Utah Center for Citizen Diplomacy for making this connection and to Mary Anne Davies and the Disability Law Center for hosting us at their lovely venue.

Denmark, Ms. Sine Cully

India, Mr. Jose Abraham

Lebanon, Ms. Rania Yahfouf

Maldives, Judge Hamid Rasheed

Poland, Ms. Malgorzata Leokadia Szuleka

Republic of N. Macedonia, Ms. Njomza Selimi Osmani

Ukraine, Ms. Halyna Chyzhyk

Ukraine, Ms. Iryna Levandovska

Venezuela, Mr. Alexis Algarra

International Visitor Liaisons: Mr. Gregory Burnside and Ms. Maren Mentor

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