“Thanks to connections through the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics, I spent the spring 2024 semester in Washington, D.C., at the National Immigration Forum, a non-profit think tank. I was the first law student to be able to have this opportunity and the Hinckley Institute is working to provide more of these types of internships for law students moving forward.

During my time in D.C., I did policy work related to immigration law. The people at the National Immigration Forum are dedicated to making a positive change in immigration. I was really impressed with the organization. They put forth workable, moderate solutions for a lot of issues and it was refreshing to be in a place where it really felt like people cared about making the world a better place.

I am really interested in policy, especially on the federal level, because even small changes can impact a lot of people. If it’s a good change, it’s a powerful way to make a difference. I liked being in D.C., being in the center of our nation’s policy-making, and being surrounded by a lot of like-minded people who wanted to do the same things as me.

Once I graduate, my plan is to go into immigration law. This summer, I am interning for the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Immigration Customs Enforcement office in West Valley City. I’d like to work for the federal government, and I am passionate about immigration law. I speak Spanish and Portuguese and I am learning French. I think it’s interesting to interact with people from different cultures. This internship has been an awesome opportunity to learn more about asylum law.

This final year of school, I am looking forward to gaining some more experience and especially doing some pro bono work. There are also some interesting classes I am hoping to take to learn more about administrative law.

Law school has been the most stretching academic experience I have ever had. It’s really hard and is different from my undergraduate studies. But I have also learned to live in a gray space because the typical law school answer to questions is “it depends.” Learning to be comfortable with uncertainty is an important life skill and law school teaches you how to do that.”

— Sam Snell, third-year student, S.J. Quinney School of Law