Our Mission and History

Law remains one of the least diverse professions nationwide, and this reality holds true in Utah.  Despite progress, Utah’s legal profession continues to be largely unreflective of the evolving composition of the state. Available statistics demonstrate that Utah’s legal profession continues to grapple with problems of homogeneity, underrepresentation, and the access to justice issues raised by these conditions.

In early 2017, then Utah Supreme Court Justice Christine Durham, Francis Wikstrom of Parsons Behle & Latimer, and more than a dozen other distinguished leaders of the Utah legal community identified a need for a statewide nonprofit organization focused on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in Utah’s legal profession. In this spirit, the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion (UCLI) was formed.

Lawyers are uniquely positioned to safeguard justice and effect meaningful change, but we can only do so when all voices and perspectives are represented, included, and treated equitably. The UCLI team envisions an increasingly diverse, inclusive, and equitable future for Utah’s legal institutions. UCLI therefore seeks to catalyze Utah’s legal profession and system so all can thrive.  Read more about UCLI’s goals and organizational structure here: UCLI 2022 Annual Report.

UCLI invites all to participate and collaborate in its initiatives. For more information read our Annual Report and Newsletter, or connect with the UCLI team at .

Our Values

  • We believe in the fundamental dignity and equality of all people.
  • We believe that a diverse and inclusive legal profession is essential for upholding ethical standards and community values, enhancing organizational effectiveness, and preserving the ability of our legal system to properly administer and provide access to justice.
  • We believe in fostering a safe and inclusive organizational environment where employees, board and committee members, and volunteers are welcomed, valued, respected, and afforded substantive opportunities to participate and be heard.
  • We believe in employee development at all levels of the organization.
  • We encourage and work to facilitate a culture of openness, empathy, collaboration, trust, and respect that makes space for complex, and sometimes difficult, conversations and dialogue about diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • We are committed to a mindset of growth, integrity, and accountability that includes continuing to research workplace diversity and inclusion strategies, evaluating the effectiveness of our policies and practices, making adjustments as necessary, and seeking to both educate and learn from others when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion matters.
  • We actively promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in our organization, not only through our programs and initiatives but also through:
    • Partnering with and encouraging members of our board, councils, committees, and staff to participate in and support affinity and other groups such as the Utah Minority Bar Association (UMBA), Women Lawyers of Utah (WLU), LGBT & Allied Lawyers of Utah (LALU), and the Disability Law Center (DLC);
    • Implementing policies and practices aimed at providing equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment; 
    • Requiring that our employees, board members, and council members complete at least three hours of diversity and inclusion CLEs or comparable training annually; and
    • Requiring that all employees, board members, and council members agree to uphold these standards, values, policies, and practices upon accepting a position with UCLI or renewing a term of service.  

Equal Employment Opportunity

UCLI values and promotes diversity in its workplace. Diversity refers to human differences that exist in the workplace, including those based on culture, ethnicity, gender, and age. UCLI believes that promoting diversity plays an important role in attracting the widest pool of qualified applicants, fostering greater innovation and creativity, and enhancing our communication and relationships with customers and the community. UCLI is committed to enhancing our diversity and demonstrating that commitment to our employees, customers, and community. UCLI promotes diversity by developing policies, programs, and procedures that foster a work environment in which differences are respected and all employees are treated fairly.

UCLI complies with all laws prohibiting discrimination against employees and applicants based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, citizenship status, disability, genetic information, or veterans’ status. Equal opportunity extends to all aspects of the employment relationship, including hiring, promotions, training, working conditions, compensation, and benefits. UCLI’s policies and practices are to reflect UCLI’s commitment to nondiscrimination in all areas of employment, including contracting opportunities for vendors and suppliers.