Rising 2L Victoria Violette always had a strong desire to help others and initially planned on a career in the medical field. She completed a bachelor’s degree in exercise science, followed by a master’s in exercise physiology at Brigham Young University, then realized that the medical field wasn’t the right path for her after all.
“I ended up shifting to the public sector and pursued a master’s in public administration with an emphasis in nonprofit management,” Violette explains. “This led me to nonprofit, corporate CSR, and government jobs, but I realized in my various roles that I still felt too far away from the good I wanted to do. That is what led me to law school. I realized the law would open doors and opportunities for me to do good in the world that I otherwise would not have access to.”
Violette found her niche and is most passionate about human rights law. She hopes to build a career in anti-human trafficking on an international level.
“What draws me to this field is the gap that can exist between legal protections on paper and people’s actual lived experiences. I also know there are still many places around the world where those legal protections do not exist, and those are changes that need to happen,” she says. “My favorite classes during my 1L year were constitutional law and criminal law, because they really exposed those tensions and pushed me to think more critically about the role of the law. That’s what continues to motivate me as I think about my future career.”
In the meantime, Violette is taking advantage of all the learning opportunities available at the S.J. Quinney College of Law—from the clinics to the moot court competitions and everything in between.
“I have been involved with the Pro Bono Initiative, which I have loved and plan to continue to do. We connect with people in real situations and try to help them through whatever challenges they may be experiencing. In fall 2026, I will be working in the Environmental Policy Accelerator, which I am really excited about,” Violette says. “I also plan to do the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and the International Law Clinic during my 3L year.”
That’s not all she enjoys about the College of Law. Violette likes the small class sizes and the close-knit community, which has helped her build relationships with her classmates and professors.
“Associate Professor Daniel Aaron was my torts professor and has been a great mentor. He cares deeply about his students, and we’ve had several conversations about my career,” she says. “I also really enjoyed criminal law with Professor Matt Tokson. He taught in a very engaging way and was able to take difficult cases and heavy material and make them more approachable. I anticipate working with similar types of issues as I pursue a career in human rights, so I really valued his approach to teaching.”
Furthermore, Violette gives a shoutout to the Student Affairs team for the work they do to support the college’s student body.
“Dean Brian Burton, Natasha Carlton, and Bret Alexander do an amazing job helping all the students feel seen and supported. They have made my time here at Utah Law simply amazing and are a huge part of what makes this community feel so welcoming,” she says.
This summer, Violette is in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, interning with the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration. She works on the Migration, Business and Human Rights team, which focuses on understanding and protecting the rights of migrant workers who reside in or are from Vietnam.
“We work with major brands to help them better understand their supply chains and implement best practices to ensure that workers are not being exploited or placed in vulnerable situations,” Violette explains. “We also work with the government and conduct research to help policymakers better protect their migrant workers.”
In addition, Violette has gotten her feet wet doing some work with the anti-human trafficking team. She feels very fortunate to have found the internship through the Hinckley Institute and notes that it’s been an exciting adventure for her and her family to share together.
“It’s amazing to go to law school to work in human rights and then be able to find an internship like this that directly links to my passion,” Violette says. “It’s also been such an incredible experience for my family. My husband and daughter love exploring Vietnam, and together we get to learn and experience a whole new culture.”