This article was originally published in the winter 2026 issue of Res Gestae.
Since 1981, Women Lawyers of Utah (WLU) has provided opportunities for women lawyers to develop and advance their careers and improved living and working conditions for all Utah women. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first 100 women admitted to the Bar in Utah, we honor past WLU president Holly Nelson (JD ’09) and WLU president-elect Ashley Gregson (JD ’11).
Finding her footing in family law
An intensive justice survey course at American University in Washington, D.C., and an internship with the Metropolitan Police doing homicide cold case reviews helped Holly Nelson realize law school was the right path for her.
“My undergraduate degree at Arizona State University was in justice studies, and we spent equal time on criminal and social justice issues. Studying these issues in tandem in such a unique program was the initial spark that led me to think more critically about how the law impacts daily life,” she recalls. “I got more interested in the law in Washington, D.C., because of the challenge of seeing both sides of each issue we studied. I also got the incredible opportunity to attend a small lunch presentation with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Her insight and explanation of the work done as attorney and the real impact a legal career can have on people was a huge influence as well.”
Nelson, originally from Sun Valley, Idaho, spent a year in San Diego studying for and taking the LSAT and then moved to Utah for a job at Snowbird, planning to ski as much as possible while applying to law schools for a year. Her plans changed with her proximity to the outdoors.
“After falling in love with the Wasatch Mountains, I realized after moving around so much the years prior that I wasn’t ready to move again for school. I ended up only applying to the Utah Law and didn’t make a back-up plan,” she says. “In the end, it just felt right to be here and to apply. Lucky for me, I got in with that application and became a proud Utah Ute and Utah Law alum.”
The class of 2009 included a wide range of ages, backgrounds and life experiences. Nelson says she felt support from all of them, even if “the Gibby” (a space for 1L desks in the old law school building) was all they had in common.
“Several of my classmates are still close friends today, and that is a testament to the environment created for us at Utah Law. The professors were meaningfully engaged in supporting students academically, but they also put a lot of effort into supporting us as people on the path to a challenging career,” she says. “I had the incredible Professor Jensie Anderson as my first-year legal methods professor, and her support and investment in me carried me many times throughout the challenging 1L year, in law school in general and far into my career as a lawyer. To this day, I count her as one of my greatest mentors, and I value tremendously her friendship and support.”
Family law interested Nelson because it was meaningful to help people through issues so foundational to their daily lives.
“I was fortunate to be hired at Dart, Adamson and Donovan and begin my career being mentored by some of the very best family law attorneys in Utah. I have spent my entire 15-year career focused exclusively on family law, and I am very proud of building my practice and reputation to where it is today,” she says. “As a partner in my firm for many years now, I am equally proud of the integrity and high level of skill with which we represent clients at our firm. I have also had the opportunity to mentor several young lawyers in our practice group to build their careers. Mentoring is a huge part of what makes the practice of law meaningful for me.”
That mentorship extends to the Women Lawyers of Utah, where Nelson recently served as president.
“I’m a small part of the legacy that has supported and advocated for our members and women in Utah generally for decades,” she says. “Getting to lead a board of accomplished women who give their time to support other women in this career is humbling and inspiring.”
Creating a flexible career in litigation
While earning a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Westminster University, Ashley Gregson was particularly drawn to the concepts of ethics and justice. Her professors encouraged her to consider law school or academia after graduation.
“I chose law school because I felt I could use my skills to advance the causes of ethics and justice in real-world conflicts. I loved breaking down complex ideas and writing convincing arguments about those ideas,” she says. “During my junior year I started working at a local law firm as an office clerk so I could get an idea of what being a lawyer looks like.”
The University of Utah was also a special place for Gregson because her parents had both completed their degrees there when she was a child, frequently bringing her to campus and sometimes to class when they couldn’t get a sitter.
“I loved seeing all of the trees, fountains, art, and architecture on campus. It was such a peaceful and beautiful place devoted to learning and really became the gold standard in my mind for a school campus. I always thought I would study there at some point,” Gregson recalls. “When the opportunity to attend the S.J. Quinney College of Law came my way, I was committed.”
Because Gregson has no other lawyers in her family and didn’t know many before attending law school, she particularly loved meeting the faculty at Utah Law.
“I looked at all of my professors as examples of what a lawyer could be. It was so beneficial for me to see their different styles, backgrounds, personalities, and specialties to understand the variety of ways in which I could fit into the legal community as a future lawyer,” she says.
When she graduated in 2011, Gregson began working in litigation, emphasizing in employment law, government and constitutional law, and administrative agency proceedings. She started at a small firm before moving to Dentons Durham Jones Pinegar, P.C., where she now serves as assistant general counsel and on the board of directors.
“I’m proud that I found a way to be a lawyer while also being myself. Practicing law is hard! We spend a lot of energy and time on our careers and while I’m very proud of my career, I never wanted it to be my entire personality,” Gregson expresses. “I have a family and hobbies, and they are important to me, too. I’m grateful that I figured that out early on and have been able to find satisfaction both at work and outside of work.”
Serving on the Women Lawyers of Utah board for many years has also been a rewarding experience, especially as Gregson has seen the number of women practicing law in Utah grow.
“We are fortunate in Utah to have such an active and close legal community, and the women in that legal community are exceptional. I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with many of them in my years of being involved with WLU and seen WLU’s services directly benefit our members so they can thrive,” she says. “Growing our numbers in the Bar and expanding women’s roles in every corner of the legal profession is key.”
Gregson says being the only woman at your firm can be a very different experience from being one of many women.
“It’s the difference between being the exception rather than the rule,” she explains. “I am seeing the law firm landscape change as the presence of larger numbers of women in the legal community, especially in leadership positions, is becoming the norm. I think some institutional barriers that formed in times when fewer women practiced law, like expectations regarding work-life-balance, for example, are now being rejected and replaced with more built-in flexibility.”
For young lawyers—especially women—beginning in the field, Gregson encourages them to find their people.
“Find your mentors, your sponsors, your allies, your friends,” she says. “Lawyers need a network. Plus it makes what we do more fun when you are part of a community.”