Salt Lake City — The University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law and the ABU Education Fund, an affiliate of Alliance for a Better UTAH, have joined forces to create a new legislative fellowship. The College of Law’s role in this partnership is part of a much wider program of clinical placements throughout the community for a diversity of organizations, including other legislative policy internships for individual legislators and others.
The Legislative Policy Fellowship, now in its first year, combines the College of Law’s focus on public service and the ABU Education Fund’s focus on civic engagement. Fellowship students will engage in the political process and acquire knowledge about and skills in the formulation of legislative policy.
“We’re thrilled to be working with the S.J. Quinney College of Law in a capacity that will help educate the next generation of lawyers about the benefits of participating directly in Utah’s political process,” said Josh Kanter, executive director of ABU Education Fund and founder of Alliance for a Better UTAH. “The Legislative Policy Fellowship will benefit both our legislative process and our law students.”
College of Law Dean Bob Adler said that he is “thrilled that one of our students is being given this opportunity for community engaged learning, in which she can contribute to the work of an organization that is so actively involved in our representative government, while enhancing her training and improving her skills as a future attorney and community leader.”
The first appointment has been awarded to Lauren Howells, a second-year law student who is simultaneously pursuing a Masters of Business Administration degree from the David Eccles School of Business. Ms. Howells, who will receive substantial experience in researching and drafting proposed legislation, will also receive a scholarship as part of her appointment. Funding for the first year’s Fellowship was provided by Jonathan M. Ruga, CEO of Sentry Financial Corporation (Mr. Ruga is a graduate and current board member of the S.J. Quinney College of Law).
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The mission of the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah is to achieve academic excellence in the professional education of lawyers, to advance knowledge through the dissemination of high quality legal scholarship, and to perform valuable public service to the University, the state of Utah, our nation, and the global community. It is the law school’s further mission to maintain and enhance our national presence as a preeminent institution of legal education, while recognizing our special obligation as the state law school to the Utah community and the Utah State Bar.
S. J. Quinney College of Law | www.law.utah.edu
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ABU Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing a strong, educational voice by creating resources that advance civic engagement and good governance.
ABU Education Fund | www.abueducation.org
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Contact:
Isaac Holyoak
Communications Director, Alliance for a Better UTAH
801.664.9751 | isaac@betterutah.org
Barry Scholl
Director of External Relations, S.J. Quinney College of Law
801-581-4640 | barry.scholl@law.utah.edu