S.J. Quinney College of Law - University of Utah

We were sad to learn that John S. Boyden Jr. (JD '66) passed away last week at age 88. A physician and attorney, Boyden served as assistant attorney general for Utah and as president of the American College of Legal Medicine, an international professional organization of physicians and attorneys practicing in the medical-legal field.

John Sterling Boyden Jr. — Obituary | Larkin Mortuary In loving memory of John Sterling Boyden Jr.. Share condolences and memories with the family.

Professor Paul Cassell, a criminal law expert, is quoted in the AP about the judge in the Charlie Kirk killing case deciding whether to charge prosecutors for comments to media about a bullet fragment recovered from the body.

https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-tyler-robinson-contempt-decision-0855555e49904792987bbdbfdb520912

“I serve as Gov. Cox’s senior advisor for community relations, and it gives me a chance to meet with groups and individuals all across our state who have needs or concerns they want to bring to the governor’s attention. With a state of 3.2 million people, he isn’t able to be everywhere he’s invited, so I will often go and represent him at different functions. It’s a chance to be a generalist when it comes to policy, whether it’s oil and gas law, Native American relations, transportation concerns, board appointments or historical issues. I’m involved in a lot of it and look forward to going to work every day.”

Learn more about Mike Mower (JD '93) and his long career in Utah politics! https://www.law.utah.edu/news-articles/growing-with-utahs-governors-mike-mower-reflects-on-30-year-political-career/

Professor RonNell Andersen Jones, a First Amendment law expert, is quoted in The New York Times about FBI Director Kash Patel's defamation lawsuits against the press.

Kash Patel Keeps Suing the Press The F.B.I. director, following a strategy from President Trump, has filed six defamation lawsuits against news media companies and commentators in nearly seven years.

Professor Brigham Daniels, an environmental law expert, is quoted in this New Lines Magazine article about opposition to a Box Elder County data center.

The AI Boom Sparks a Rural Rebellion in Utah Box Elder County seemed perfect for a hyperscale data center, but Kevin O’Leary’s Stratos project ignited an unusual civic revolt, and a reckoning for Republican lawmakers

Did you know that alumna Mary Ellen Sloan (JD '75) became Utah's first Native American woman lawyer when she graduated more than 50 years ago?

Learn more about her career in Indian law in this Res Gestae article: https://www.law.utah.edu/news-articles/the-privilege-of-my-lifetime-mary-ellen-sloan-recalls-restoring-tribal-rights-during-her-long-career-in-indian-law/

“We are fortunate in Utah to have such an active and close legal community, and the women in that legal community are exceptional. I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with many of them in my years of being involved with Women Lawyers of Utah (WLU) and seen WLU’s services directly benefit our members so they can thrive. Growing our numbers in the Bar and expanding women’s roles in every corner of the legal profession is key.”

Check out this Res Gestae article featuring Holly Nelson (JD ' 09) and Ashley Gregson (JD '11), who are both Women Lawyers of Utah leaders!

Leading Women Lawyers of Utah: Get to know Holly Nelson and Ashley Gregson - S.J. Quinney College of Law Since 1981, Women Lawyers of Utah (WLU) has provided opportunities for women lawyers to develop and advance their careers. We're highlighting past WLU president Holly...

Stephen Dent (JD '14) has been appointed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to fill one of two new vacancies on the Utah Supreme Court, subject to the Utah Senate's consent. Dent is an assistant U.S. attorney who has prosecuted drug, immigration and murder cases. He previously worked at the Washington, D.C., firm of Gibson Dunn before joining the Department of Justice as a federal prosecutor.

Learn more in The Salt Lake Tribune:

Cox picks LDS Church attorney and federal prosecutor to fill new Utah Supreme Court seats Gov. Spencer Cox nominated an LDS Church attorney and a federal prosecutor to fill two new Utah Supreme Court seats.

Lecturer Professor Amos Guiora, who leads Utah Law's Bystander Initiative, has published an op-ed in The Hill.

We must not participate in the crime of enabling In December 2024, while sitting at home outside Jerusalem, I received the most extraordinary email possible. The subject line was the name of my late grandfather, murdered in Auschwitz in May 1944.…

Professor Jorge Contreras was quoted in The New York Times about a U.S. state court in North Dakota that issued an anti-suit injunction (ASI) against Greenpeace's prosecution of a Dutch freedom of expression action in a U.S. tort case involving protests over a pipeline. The ASI has now been upheld by the ND Supreme Court.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/28/climate/greenpeace-energy-transfer-north-dakota-injunction.html