Gain confidence through practical experiences: 2L Constance Holder’s antidote to imposter syndrome


Jan 23, 2025 | Students

by Angela Turnbow

Constance Holder, a young white woman with long, straight red hair standing next to a shelf of red books in the law school libraryConstance Holder knew at a young age that she wanted to pursue a legal career. Her desire to attend law school solidified each year in school as she cultivated her interests in persuasive writing, debate, and history. Then, as an undergraduate at Drexel University, she became even more inspired to attend law school.

“I took a white-collar crime class in college where we did in-depth case studies of the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis, the Enron scandal, and Watergate. It was then that I discovered a more specific goal: white-collar crime prosecution,” Holder says. “That officially tipped the scales toward going to law school. To this day, I hope to be involved in a huge, impactful white-collar case.”

The small class sizes drew Holder to the S.J. Quinney College of Law. Location also played a significant factor.

“I grew up in Utah until I was 12, when my parents moved us to Austin, Texas. I decided I missed seeing the mountains on the horizon and having four seasons. Rather than returning to Texas, I wanted to go back to my original home. I have absolutely loved being back in the Salt Lake Valley, and I know S.J. Quinney is the best choice I could have made for myself,” she says.

Now in her second year of law school, Holder enjoys the collegiate culture at Utah Law.

“TV shows and movies make law school seem extremely competitive, cutthroat, and like every student is trying to step on the others to get ahead. I have never received that impression from Utah Law,” Holder says. “There’s certainly friendly competition, but not to the point of sabotage or bad faith interactions among students.”

Moreover, she is impressed by the faculty and administration.

“I had only spoken to Dean Burton maybe twice, but during the first week of my first semester, he remembered my name and said ‘hi.’ That has really stuck with me,” Holder says. “The faculty and administration actually care about the students and are interested in getting to know all of us. It creates such a welcoming and pleasant environment, and it helps counteract the nerves and stress of exams, papers, and work.”

One thing Holder did not anticipate once she began law school was to doubt herself and feel imposter syndrome. Yet, she’s learned to work through these emotions and gain confidence in herself by seeking opportunities that give her practical experience in the law.

“My biggest recommendation for 1Ls, or people considering law school, is to take advantage of as many experiential opportunities as possible. It’s so easy to read about a concept, discuss it in class, and then let it scare you because on paper it looks so difficult,” Holder says. “However, in law school you aren’t entirely thrown into the deep end, and it’s a great time to learn the practical side of those concepts, making them much more digestible.”

This year, Holder has been working as a Quinney Fellow, which has allowed her to explore many different areas of the law and work with a variety of Utah Law’s professors.

“So far, I have helped Professor Francis do research primarily on Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which complemented the work I did with the Disability Law Center’s employment team over the summer. I also helped Professor Rosky with some research toward his efforts to abolish class ranks and improve law student and lawyer mental health. Currently, I’m working with Professor Cassell to do some research for his victim rights book,” Holder says. “Being a Quinney Fellow has helped me foster great relationships with the faculty, and they have been incredible to work with. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of these projects, and I’m excited to see what else I can work on this spring semester.”

Indeed, Holder is very proud of the work she did for the Disability Law Center last summer and shares why it was so meaningful.

“It was my first opportunity to write documents that weren’t for an assignment and would actually go to a court/agency. I wrote a memorandum for a charge of disability discrimination to file with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from start to finish,” Holder says. “That has been the highlight of my law career up to this point. I felt like I was actually making a difference in the clients’ lives, and it reminded me of why I want to do law.”

Holder also participated in Professor Jensie Anderson’s Post-Conviction Clinic, where she saw firsthand many issues with the criminal justice system. This experience reaffirmed her desire to work as a white-collar crime prosecutor after she graduates from law school.

“I want to pursue white-collar crime prosecution as a career because I want to hold big businesses and the people who run them accountable for how they impact their employees, the economy, public health, the environment and so much more,” Holder says. “I hope in my lifetime I get to see improvements in law enforcement, incarceration, mental health treatment for offenders, and reduced misconduct from judges, prosecutors, and defenders alike.”


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