submitted by Freddy Barrera, UCLI Intern
Zachary Scott is currently a 2L at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. He was born and raised in Salt Lake City and attended Westminster College, where he double majored in Finance and Business Management. After graduating from Westminster College, he received a Master of Finance at the University of Utah. Excited to continue his education, Zach decided to attend law school.
Some of his favorite experiences in law school have come in forming relationships with his professors and classmates. While law school can be rigorous, Zach appreciates the camaraderie he has experienced in working with students who think differently to achieve a similar goal. These relationships have been especially important because law school presents challenging experiences. However, Zach acknowledges that the challenging experiences are part of the learning process, which motivates him to continue his education.
Outside of academics, Zach is involved with UCLI in multiple ways. He volunteers for the Meadowlark Mentorship Program and is also part of the Tracking Progress Committee, which developed a survey tracking diversity in Utah’s legal field. Zach decided to get involved with UCLI because he realizes the power of having people in your corner to show that it is possible to pursue a legal education. Additionally, he wants to play his part in promoting diversity and inclusion in his community, and hopefully increase leadership opportunities for minority students within the legal field.
Outside of UCLI, Zach is part of the Famtorship Program at the University of Utah, where he works with first-generation and minority students interested in attending graduate school. He is also part of the Graduate School Diversity Council, where he works in promoting student rights. In addition to all these amazing pursuits, Zach is working part-time, assisting the in-house counsel at PowerSchool, where he works on data privacy and other issues.
After obtaining his law degree, Zach hopes to work in corporate law. This past summer he worked at Dorsey & Whitney where he dealt with financial matters. This, paired with his background experiences in finance and business, has increased his interest in this field of the law.
Overall, Zach has found his law school experience rewarding. When asked if he had any advice for students interested in attending law school, he mentioned that students should not be discouraged by its rigor. He believes it is important to be excited to pursue something difficult yet rewarding. He mentioned how it is important to treat the experience as an investment for your future, and to just go for it!
Pictured: Zachary Scott, S.J. Quinney 2L