As a child, recent Utah Law graduate Emma Noverr would write papers about national parks or museums her family visited on school breaks and turn them in to her teachers for grades. Even then, she had a passion for reading and writing—but the idea of a career in law didn’t sink in until later.
“In high school, I was selected as ‘Most Likely to Become a Supreme Court Justice’ and received the Sandra Day O’Connor Award from the social studies department,” Noverr recalls. “That is what really planted the seed of becoming a lawyer.”
A Colorado native, Noverr attended a small liberal arts college in rural Michigan and enjoyed her constitution class, along with logic and rhetoric classes, the most. With law still in mind, she took a job at a Utah vitamin company while studying for her LSAT and fell in love with the state.
“I grew up skiing, hiking and biking in the Rockies every day, and I was determined to make it back to the mountains,” she recalls. “I toured Utah Law and found it was small, supportive, and had the best access to an exploding legal market in Salt Lake City. It was an easy choice!”
During her three years at the College of Law, Noverr loved the tight-knit community and says she was able to make meaningful connections with students, professors and alumni and within the job market.
“I never felt like I was going through anything alone. My fellow students were never overly competitive and made every endeavor collaborative,” she says. “In undergrad, I was extremely insecure and withdrawn. I never spoke up in class and wrote myself out of a lot of opportunities. Utah Law gave me so much to be confident about. I applied to and secured jobs I never thought were available to me, I spoke (maybe too much) in class, and ultimately found the conviction to be myself.”
Her favorite class was Dean Heiny’s Civil Procedure and Evidence, which “made me feel like I could be a real lawyer,” she recalls.
“The way that legal strategy interacts with the structure of rules is so fascinating to me. I also loved my Title IX class with Jess Morrison. Professor Morrison was the kindest, most considerate teacher I have ever had. He covered sensitive topics with grace and allowed us to have input into our learning experience,” Noverr says.
During Adjunct Assistant Professor Robert Harrison and Adjunct Professor Jim Ruble‘s health law class, Noverr had enlightening conversations about the intersection of healthcare and law.
“With the rising popularity of AI, I wanted to write my paper on the legal threats it poses when introduced into healthcare. I spoke with Professor Harrison on multiple occasions while writing it, and he gave me important insights,” she says.
Working with Harrison ultimately resulted in a collaboration with Harrison on a Journal of Health Care Compliance article, “Artificial Intelligence Cannot Be Ethical: A Philosophical Nudge for Compliance Leaders and Their Artificial Colleagues,” which explores why compliance professionals lead ethical AI implementation.
“Professor Guiora is world-renowned for his work speaking out against those who stand by while others are wronged as well as those who enable bad actors. His initiative sets out to protect victims in a way the law has yet to contemplate,” she says. “I specifically worked with him on a new book bridging his mother’s experience during the Holocaust in Hungary to the ever-complicated Israeli government. I was honored to help tell his mother’s story.”
Outside of class and work at Utah Law, Noverr enjoyed interning with Judge Howard Nielson in the Utah District Court through the College of Law’s experiential education program.
“This role provided me with incredibly valuable experience. I was able to see what a clerkship looks like and how the federal courts function, and mainly, it allowed me to build confidence,” she says. “Judge Neilson made me feel like I could meaningfully contribute, and his passion for justice gave me faith in the legal system.”
Though Noverr hasn’t yet decided on a career within law, her own passion within the field lies in law’s ability to provide meaningful relief to individuals and communities.
“Law offers a framework through which disputes can be resolved fairly and rights can be protected, regardless of the complexity of the issues at hand. I am particularly drawn to how the law creates opportunities for advocacy, allowing people to challenge injustices and seek remedies that can improve their lives,” she says.