On November 6, Hiram Chodosh, Dean of the S.J. Quinney College of Law, as well as faculty, staff, attorneys and some 150 students and spouses gathered at the Little America Hotel for a luncheon honoring student scholarship and award recipients and thanking Quinney College supporters.
In his introductory remarks, Chodosh stressed the importance of “connecting students to the world, the faculty, and the broader community.” “When you look at legal education and higher education in general, you see some institutions that approach [education] as an assembly line” with students the products being produced, he said.
By contrast, Chodosh noted that the Quinney College’s impressive student-to-faculty ratio of less than 10 to 1 provides a more personal approach to education. “We would like to honor values and make them part of being a student at the U of U,” he said, praising the “transcendent quality” of the “remarkable” student body and the dedication of the College’s supporters and alums.’a0
Donor Representative Paul Durham, a Salt Lake City attorney, College of Law graduate and current member of its Board of Trustees, reflected on his experiences as a student and practitioner. He encouraged current students to remain involved with the College after graduation, revealing that although he was initially ambivalent about his student experiences, his opinion began to change as he returned to campus for lectures and events. “That feeling of never wanting to go back evaporated. I’ve made friends [through the law school] that will be rich and meaningful throughout my life,” he said.
Chodosh and Durham used the occasion to announce Durham’s personal gift of $25,000 to the Quinney College. Quoting the author Victor Hugo, Durham remarked that “As the purse is emptied, the heart is filled.”‘a0
Award recipients Jason Groenewold and Mica McKinney also addressed the audience.
Groenewold thanked “the people who have placed hope and belief in us. We appreciate it and thank those who provide the support.” He added that he planned to honor the sacrifice others made by striving to make important contributions to the community.
McKinney stressed that her experience this year as a Quinney Fellow had allowed her to hone her research skills “beyond pulling a holding” from a casebook and applying it to a hypothetical and said she benefitted from the close working relationships she developed with faculty members. “I’d like to thank all the donors who made opportunities available to students like myself,” she concluded.
Michael Petrogeorge, chair of the Litigation section of the Utah State Bar, also spoke at the luncheon, presenting the Quinney College with a plaque commemorating the Trial Advocacy team’s participation in the regional competition and discussing the section’s financial support to help defray travel costs for the team.