Leah Bench first began her legal education at the S.J. Quinney College of Law as a student in the Master of Legal Studies program in fall 2019. From there, her desire to practice law only grew, and now she is a rising 3L in the JD program.
Before law school, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in business with hopes to open her own one day. Then in search of direction, Bench enlisted in the Air Force and worked as a munitions operation specialist supporting the B52 at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota—and yes, she worked in -45-degree weather.
“I learned a lot about teamwork, how to persevere under immense pressure and stress, and time management,” Bench says regarding her service. “One thing I value that the military taught me was that you do not need to share DNA to be considered family. I have met some of the most generous and kind people while serving. I will forever consider them to be a part of my family.”
Bench’s interest in the law stems from her husband’s custody battle with an ex-wife and a desire to address the injustice she witnessed of fathers being treated as second-class parents within the court system. This experience ultimately led her to enrolling in the MLS program.
“I wanted to go to law school after my military separation, but the closest law school from Minot was four hours away in Fargo. By stroke of luck, my husband, who is still on active duty, applied for a special job within the career field, which landed us in Utah at Hill Air Force Base. Thankfully, the drive was much more realistic and obtainable,” Bench says. “I saw an ad online for the MLS program and knew I had to apply. Once I accepted, the journey and desire to practice law grew with every lecture, guest speaker, and encounter with the faculty and staff at SJQ.”
Bench appreciates the support faculty and staff offer to students and regards it as an invaluable resource as she navigates her legal education.
“The thing I like best about the S.J. Quinney College of Law is the support. The faculty and staff want their students not only to succeed but to thrive! I cannot thank the assistant dean of student affairs, Brian Burton, enough for all the support, advice, and resources he has provided me and fellow students,” Bench says. “Law school is stressful, especially when you have three children and a spouse who could deploy at a moment’s notice.”
For Bench, pursuing the MLS degree before applying to the JD program was immensely helpful as it put the complexity of the legal system into perspective.
“The MLS program helped me prepare for the JD program by exposing how vast and complicated the judicial system is. I used to think the career field was cut-and-dried when it came to following the law, but after taking MLS courses, such as Lawsuits and Litigation and Understanding Statutes, reality hit me like a ton of bricks that this was not going to be a simple process,” Bench says.
She does wish that she knew more about legal writing before enrolling in the JD program—specifically on how to use the Bluebook. Fortunately, the MLS program now offers a course on legal research and writing to its students.
Law school opened further obstacles for Bench to face, such as a fear of public speaking. She feels a sense of accomplishment and pride at overcoming her discomfort during law school.
“My passion for litigation started when I had to argue as prosecutor to a class jury as to why our hypothetical defendant was guilty of murder,” Bench says. “It was exhilarating, and I felt a rush I had never felt before—even if I felt like throwing up the entire time.”
Her biggest passion within law is helping families, and specifically military families.
“The divorce rate and custody issues within the armed forces are so much higher than the civilian sector. If the government is not going to find and fix the root cause of these issues, then I want to provide affordable representation for military members that does not cripple them financially,” Bench says. “Judge advocate generals (JAGs) do help their members with some things—like criminal, torts and wills—but it is very uncommon for the all-too-common domestic issues to be handled by military lawyers.”
Bench is still a year away from graduating—a second time—from the College of Law, but she has plans to gain more experience as a family law attorney and open her own practice to aid military members.
“The people who keep us safe and uphold our rights should be represented and provided legal services for things in their personal lives so they can continue to serve without the added stress of family issues,” she says. “The job is stressful enough, and filling this enormous gap is my motivation to keep going.”