Most people can recall a favorite teacher growing up or a professor in college who has influenced their path in life. 3L Grant Boyden says two professors in particular inspired him to pursue a legal career while he studied political science and chemistry at the University of Utah.
“I credit Geoff Allen and Steven Johnston for sparking my interest in government, law, and policy. I quickly realized that law school provides a unique opportunity to study this field that fascinates me, and it also provides tools to apply that education in a tangible way,” Boyden says.
Growing up in Salt Lake City, Utah, Boyden has always felt a strong connection to the community at large, and he wanted the same experience in a law school. The S.J. Quinney College of Law’s small class size and student-to-faculty ratio “were huge draws,” he says. This makes it possible to get to know everyone better.
“If I had to narrow the benefits of attending school here to one thing, it would be the relationships Utah Law fosters between students and faculty. I have met some of my best friends and greatest mentors here. I am grateful that this school makes a concerted effort to build those relationships,” Boyden says.
Moreover, he has “fallen in love” with constitutional and criminal law.
“I enjoy constitutional law because it gives you a sort of ‘peek under the hood’ of government and the world we live in. The more you learn about the way government is structured and the constraints it has, the more you appreciate why our society works the way it does,” Boyden says. “Criminal law, on the other hand, is tangible. In criminal defense, and public defense especially, it’s clear why your client needs an advocate. Those stakes are even higher when you realize how stretched thin the public defense system is.”
Boyden realized his passion for criminal defense work during a field placement with the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the District of Utah, where he worked as a legal intern.
“I learned so much while I was there and really fell in love with criminal defense work. I am so grateful to the Federal Defenders and to Utah Law for facilitating that opportunity,” Boyden says. “While there, I wrote the opening brief in an appeal to the Tenth Circuit. The process was, in all honesty, much harder than I anticipated, but it made me an exponentially better writer and advocate.”
Honing those writing skills has paid off for Boyden. He is now the editor-in-chief for the Utah Law Review this academic year.
“I have worked with professors and legal scholars from all over the country with the law review. I can’t understate how exciting it has been to read and work on cutting-edge scholarship!” he says.
With graduation in sight, Boyden hopes to return to appellate criminal defense work. He also wants to pay it forward and teach future law students at some point during his career. Until then, though, he enjoys taking a break from his studies for a game of ping pong.
“The ping pong club is a great distraction! It’s a wonderful excuse to spend time with friends between classes and has been an easy way to get to know the faculty here. You will absolutely see me participate in the Quinney Open this year!” he says.