When 2L Abigail Alexander joined the Board Game Club as a first-year law student, she enjoyed the camaraderie but readily admits that she prefers card games like Uno or classics like checkers and Mancala over board games. When the group’s leader was graduating and asked if she would take over the club, however, Alexander knew she could widen its reach.
“I wanted to expand the club a little so people who had adjacent interests would want to join. Now we include puzzles and Nintendo Switch games as well,” Alexander explains. “We usually have around 10 to 20 people at events, but we hope to grow.”
Alexander and several other law students met up recently during Utah Law’s Wellness Week in January to unwind with puzzles, ping pong, board games and Nintendo races. She says she wants other students to know that the club is there for them.
“The goal of the Board Game Club (soon to be called the Gaming Club) is to get students together to do something interactive besides school and relax the brain. We also want to be able to bring people together that may not meet otherwise,” Alexander says. “This semester, we have meetings every other Monday and sometimes team up with Student Affairs’ Tea Time Tuesdays. We are also hoping to do a Mario Kart tournament this year.”
The community at Utah Law has made Alexander’s law school experience a positive one.
“The administrators know the students and help us meet our goals, but they also just check in and make sure we are staying afloat. The students are all willing to interact with each other and share our experiences as well. It makes a stressful time feel a lot easier to have a supportive community around you,” she says.
While Alexander enjoys meeting new people through the club and hearing about their interests, she is also serious about her education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Texas State University with a focus in forensics and worked in a couple law offices in between semesters.
“I loved learning about the science in both fields, and death investigations is an important topic I thought I could bring to law school,” Alexander explains. “I first wanted to attend law school because I met some public defense attorneys in my undergraduate studies who went above and beyond for their clients. I was inspired by their work and decided to apply and do it myself. Now I work at the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association and am following that dream.”
Currently, Alexander’s career goals include public defense work and civil rights advocacy.
“My biggest passion in law is the belief that everyone should be supported. Everyone deserves a good defense, regardless of what they may or may not have done,” she says.
When she’s not studying, attending class, or connecting others through the Board Game Club, Alexander indulges her other passion, which she also studied as an undergraduate: geology.
“I like to go on adventures in the San Rafael Swell, collect rocks, hang out with friends, and watch way too much TV,” Alexander says.