My winter term at the Utah Transit Authority

By William Organek, J.D. ’16

William Organek, J.D. ’16

I was very fortunate to work for the Utah Transit Authority over the Winter 2016 term. Transit issues have fascinated me for years, after seeing how improved transit can spur economic development, reinvigorate underutilized neighborhoods, and redefine people’s interactions with each other and their city. I was looking forward to helping the UTA expand transit service as part of its role in the Mountain Accord, an innovative cross-jurisdictional plan to preserve and improve the nature and tourist industry of the region. Yet, since the UTA only has a small legal department within an organization with a wide mandate, I also had the opportunity to work on legal issues related to employment regulations and civil litigation.

The most surprising, and gratifying, part of my experience was the level of trust and responsibility given to me by my supervisors. Shortly after arriving, I was helping craft language for legislation which will be submitted to Congress in connection with the Mountain Accord, as well as writing the first draft of a motion to dismiss a civil claim against the UTA.

This experience, putting my legal writing skills to use in a litigation and policy setting, was one of my most valuable in law school and I could not more strongly recommend working for the UTA.