A lifelong Utahn, Gloria Aquino earned her bachelor’s degree in health society and policy from the University of Utah. She worked in public health consulting for a short time but soon decided to attend law school, wanting to understand how legal systems translate policy goals into concrete outcomes that shape everyday life.
“My background in health policy exposed me to well-developed frameworks and policy goals aimed at improving public health, such as expanding access to housing, preventive care, nutritious food, and safe environments. However, I came to appreciate that these initiatives depend on legal structures to be implemented effectively,” Aquino explains. “The law allocates funding, creates tax incentives, establishes safety standards, and defines eligibility for public programs. I became interested in how these mechanisms are designed, why they take the forms they do, and how they ultimately determine whether policy objectives succeed or fail in practice.”
Utah Law was her top choice because it was affordable, but the sense of community was also appealing.
“I was mindful of the financial risks associated with legal education and wanted to invest in my future without limiting my career flexibility. Utah Law offered a compelling balance of cost and strong post-graduate outcomes, which made it possible to pursue a legal career without taking on an overwhelming level of debt,” Aquino says. “The smaller class sizes create an environment where students can build meaningful relationships with their peers and faculty. I valued the opportunity to be part of a close-knit academic community where collaboration is emphasized and where I would not feel like just another face in a sea of students.”
Creating a circle of support
Aquino also found community and mentorship in the Minority Law Caucus, serving as its president during 2024-2025.
“I am Mexican American and also the first person in my family to go to college and later law school. The Minority Law Caucus’s mission of promoting diversity in the legal field and encouraging students from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue higher education, and in particular a legal education, resonated with me deeply, and it still does,” she says. “What I didn’t fully anticipate was how generous the 2Ls and 3Ls I met would be with their time and knowledge. They genuinely pulled back the curtain on how to navigate law school, from flagging internship and scholarship deadlines, sharing outlines, and offering interview tips to passing along the kind of insider knowledge that isn’t written down anywhere. That mentorship made a real difference in my experience and success, and I was incredibly grateful for it.”
However, she has most enjoyed mentoring incoming students and says she’ll carry that full-circle moment with her when she enters practice.
“Getting to offer the same guidance to incoming students by helping them find their footing, feel less alone, and see a path forward has been the highlight of my law school journey,” Aquino expresses. “Mentorship, I’ve learned, isn’t just something you receive. It’s something that shapes who you are as a professional. Shout out to Eben Kohtz, Enrique Martinez, and Nathan Bramhall, as they modeled to me what a true mentor is.”
She notes that the environment at Utah Law makes it easier to form meaningful connections.
“I have met some of the most intelligent and genuinely kind people during my time at the school, not only classmates, but also upper-level students, faculty, and members of the broader Utah legal community,” she says.
Utah Law’s support system has also been important during Aquino’s most challenging moments of law school.
“Whether I was adjusting to the demands of my first year, navigating the job search process, or managing the pressures of school and personal responsibilities, there was always someone willing to offer guidance and encouragement. That consistent support has strengthened my confidence and made my law school experience all the more worth it,” she says.
Trusting yourself and building self-confidence
Law school is both easier and harder than she imagined, and Aquino recalls being nervous about the rigor of the program and whether she could succeed both academically and financially.
“I did not know how I was going to balance not working during my first year so I could fully devote myself to my studies. It was my first time being in school without also working, which felt like a big and uncertain transition,” she says. “What I learned, though, is that I was completely capable of handling the program. I also had to take a leap of faith by relying on my savings and student loans, something I had been very averse to. In the end, that decision allowed me to fully invest in my education, and it ultimately paid off.”
To improve her writing skills, Aquino began participating in moot court competitions and says the most rewarding part has been the growth in confidence, both in writing and oral advocacy.
“Moot court gives you a chance to develop your written advocacy in a low-stakes environment, and part of what makes it genuinely low stakes is that no one’s fate is on the line. There’s no client whose livelihood or freedom depends on the quality of your brief. That freedom to make mistakes, iterate, and improve without the weight of real consequences is exactly what I think law school should offer,” she explains.
Arguing in front of federal circuit, district, and state Supreme Court judges has also been a remarkable experience.
“You have to think on your feet, respond to questions you didn’t anticipate, and be coherent under pressure. Ultimately, competing in tournaments like Traynor and NNALSA pushed me to put in the work to improve, and looking back, I can genuinely see the progress. That tangible growth is something I’m really grateful for,” Aquino says.
During her 2L year, Aquino externed with the Utah Supreme Court and says the experience deepened her understanding of the judiciary in unexpected ways.
“I got to watch skilled oral advocates argue before the court, read high-quality briefs, and see firsthand how the justices approach difficult legal questions. What fascinated me most were issues of first impression. Because Utah is a relatively young state, it doesn’t have as much caselaw as older states have, which means the Utah Supreme Court is regularly confronted with legal questions it is answering for the very first time,” she says. “Watching that process unfold was remarkable.”
Focusing on the future
Though her passion shifts depending on what she’s learning at the time, Aquino says lately she’s been drawn most to statutory interpretation.
“The way judges read the law, the tools they use, the assumptions they bring, the weight they give to certain things feels foundational to everything else. How a court gives meaning to a statute shapes how the law actually functions in practice, and I find that intersection of language and power really interesting,” she explains.
When Aquino graduates in May, she plans to join a Utah firm and work in litigation, though she’s also interested in clerking for a judge after she has some time in practice.
“My primary goal is to become the best advocate I can be. More than any single milestone, what I’m really after is a career where I’m always learning and always growing, one where I’m constantly being challenged and pushed to be better,” she says. “At the same time, I want to find balance. The things outside of law that make me who I am matter to me, and I think the best lawyers are the ones who bring a full life to their work rather than sacrificing everything for it.”