Though Nate Bramhall didn’t travel far to attend the University of Utah—he crossed the divide from Utah County to Salt Lake County—the proximity to home allowed him to continue performing in a few local indie rock bands. After earning his bachelor’s degree in English and environmental and sustainability studies, Bramhall found himself exploring other states.
“One of my first jobs out of college was being a technician for an industrial pollution testing company, where my coworkers and I would travel all around the Western U.S. performing air pollution audits at gold mines, oil refineries, and wood mills. We were helping these industrial sites comply with the Clean Air Act,” Bramhall recalls.
It was then that he felt the pull toward the legal profession.
“When I realized how valuable it is to have someone in the room who knows exactly how to solve a complex legal compliance issue, the law school seed was planted,” he says. “I started applying for paralegal positions in town.”
Bramhall is now in his third year of law school at the S.J. Quinney College of Law, choosing it for its affordability, the high bar passage rates, and job placements for its students. And that’s not all that impresses him.
“My favorite thing about the S.J. Quinney College of Law is that in so many ways, it’s an environment that is optimized for learning and success. We have access to more study resources than a single law student would ever need,” Bramhall says. “The student culture is inclusive and collaborative. We have robust mental and physical health resources at our disposal. And it feels like the faculty truly has our backs. Everyone here is rowing in the same direction, and I love that.”
One thing he wishes he’d known prior to law school is that there is a place for anyone who wants to join the legal profession.
“As a pre-law student, I had imposter syndrome and felt unworthy to be a lawyer because I didn’t resemble the aggressive trial lawyer archetypes Hollywood rehashes year after year,” Bramhall, who is half-Japanese, says. “Knowing that there’s likely a type of legal work that fits your personality, no matter who you are, would’ve given me peace of mind during those early 1L days.”
Bramhall loves helping clients with their legal needs and finds the service aspect of the legal profession most fulfilling.
“Whether it’s helping a partner, a fellow associate, or a pro bono client, I love the fact that, at the end of the day, the work of an attorney is to help other people achieve their goals,” Bramhall says.
After graduation, Bramhall will join Mayer Brown’s Salt Lake City office in their corporate transactional group and is thrilled to do so. He hopes to be an asset to his teammates there and be a mentor to future law students entering the legal field.
“I worked at Mayer Brown as a summer associate and found that it was a better fit than I could’ve ever envisioned,” Bramhall says. “The attorneys running that office are amazing people, and I became dear friends with the other summer associates. One of my goals in coming to SJQ was earning a post-graduation job where I can grow into the kind of attorney I want to be, and I feel like I’ve won the lottery!”