The UCLI Legal Lounge

In this episode, host Sabrina Ruiz-Monroy sits down with KrisTina Carlston, Director of the Preprofessional Advisement Program at Brigham Young University and former corporate tax attorney, to discuss what truly makes a strong law school application. Drawing from her experience in both legal practice and pre-law advising, KrisTina shares practical, candid guidance for students navigating the admis...

In this episode of The UCLI Legal Lounge, host Sabrina Ruiz-Monroy sits down with Zachary Smith, Regional Director for the Central Region at AccessLex Institute’s Center for Education and Financial Capability, to discuss the financial realities of law school and what students need to know before they begin their legal education journey. Zachary shares practical insight into scholarships, federal a...

In this episode of The UCLI Legal Lounge, host Sabrina Ruiz-Monroy sits down with Shubham Shah, an attorney at Greenberg Traurig, to discuss his journey into law and the challenges of navigating imposter syndrome and competition along the way. Shubi shares how feeling “behind the 8 ball” shaped his mindset, and how resilience and perspective helped him grow into his role in complex litigation and...

In this episode, host Sabrina Ruiz-Monroy sits down with Mohammad Khan, a family law attorney, to explore his journey from being born in Pakistan and raised in Michigan to building his legal career and eventually relocating to Utah. Mohammad shares how his cultural background, strong family values, and mentorship from his father and brother helped shape his academic path and decision to pursue law...

In this episode, host Sabrina Ruiz-Monroy sits down with Abby M. Dizon-Maughan, a shareholder and accomplished commercial litigator, to discuss her journey as the daughter of hardworking immigrant parents to becoming a respected leader in Utah’s legal community. Abby shares how navigating the educational system as a first-generation American, working in law firms for a decade before law school, an...

In this episode, host Sabrina Ruiz-Monroy sits down with Jehicob Torres, a litigation associate at Strong & Hanni, to discuss his journey as the son of Mexican immigrants to becoming a practicing attorney in Utah. Jehicob shares how growing up bilingual, taking initiative as a first-generation college student, and founding UVU’s Pre-Law Club helped shape his path to law school. He reflects on...

In this episode, host Sabrina Ruiz-Monroy sits down with Eli Leggett, an associate attorney at Strong & Hanni, to talk about his journey from being a first-generation college student on the East Coast to practicing law in Utah. Eli shares how his background shaped his approach to law school and his legal career. With candor and humor, Eli reflects on why he didn’t love law school, what helped...

In this episode, host Sabrina Ruiz-Monroy sits down with Tracy Iglesias, a Senior Legal Analyst at Intermountain Health with over thirty years of experience in the legal profession. From her beginnings as a paralegal in South Florida to her current work supporting one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the Intermountain West, Tracy offers a rare look into the critical and often overlooked...

Step inside The UCLI Legal Lounge, a brand-new podcast by the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion (UCLI), where we’re breaking down barriers to law school and creating space for every future lawyer’s story. In our very first episode, host Sabrina Ruiz-Monroy sits down with Kaitlyn Pieper (Executive Director), Emily Zárate (Communications Manager), and Helen Wang (Administrative Coordinator) to share h...