The BYU Law School Alumni Chapter hosted the 2025 Alumni Development Summit in the J. Reuben Clark Building on Friday, Nov. 7.
A select group of alumni from various geographical areas and legal domains were invited to attend group discussions centered around aligning alumni efforts with the goals of BYU Law in order to best help alumni, current students and the university.
Chief among the themes discussed was how alums can foster gospel-centered belonging within the school, in the workplace and with those they interact with professionally. This is a central part of BYU for all students and alumni.
One discussion session in particular touched heavily on this theme. It was led by Richard Salgado, a BYU Law alumni who now works as a high-level litigator for an international firm.
“We are in an environment right now that is really hard,” Salgado said, referring to the divisive political and ideological climate.
He began by sharing a story about an occurrence at a Texas law summit he helped organize. The summit included individuals of many different faiths and was meant to be a collaborative discussion.
He recalls one participant who, upon entering, began to berate and insult a Muslim participant who had done nothing to instigate the conversation. It turned out that this attack was all “for show,” as Salgado put it, with the attacker even posting about it on social media afterwards.
Salgado explained that while that was an extreme case, greater efforts to accept and build bridges with those who are different are needed everywhere, including in BYU Law.
Denise Beatty is the BYU Law Director of Student Life and teaches a cultural competency class to first-year students. She shared her perspective as someone who makes resolving these issues part of her career.
“We should be the model for what belonging looks like everywhere,” she said. Regarding past mentions of off-color remarks in the school, she said that “to me, that is the antithesis of the gospel.”
She noted that though the religious foundation of BYU Law fosters an inclusive community, more can be done to eliminate prejudice.
Eross Coito-Paz, a current BYU law student who immigrated to the U.S., was asked to share his thoughts during the meeting. He remarked that belonging extends far beyond helping people of different races or backgrounds feel like they fit in.
Coito-Paz stated that such a definition is shallow and steers away from what belonging should be: a focus on the divine identity of all children of God.
He then added that in the high-stress, high-intensity legal world, efforts to foster that perspective are especially necessary.
Michael Middleton, Assistant Dean for External Relations at BYU Law, commented on how BYU Law could increase that sense of belonging if each individual better understood that everyone has a divine nature.
“It goes back to primary singing ‘I Am a Child of God,’” he said. “Maybe we should be singing ‘You Are a Child of God.’”
Middleton believes BYU is “uniquely positioned to be a global law school.” While many schools are regional or national (drawing students from a specific area and placing them in careers within that area), BYU can have a wider reach.
He explained that the principle of a global school is also based on principles of belonging. He said that BYU Law’s diverse students — three-fourths of whom speak a second language due to a mission or non-U.S. heritage — are well-equipped.
“More than another language, [students] know another culture. And more than another culture, they love another group of people that sometimes are very different from them,” Middleton said.
Speaking with Salgado after the event, he touched on the takeaways he hoped alumni will bring back to their jobs. Many work in high-level positions and have influence in their respective spheres.
“A lot of times we get so focused on our own work in front of us that we don't step back and realize, ‘hey, there's bigger things here, I can help be a force for good within my circle of influence,’" Middleton said.
Salgado commented that law firms, at the end of the day, are all about profit. He clarified that this is not wrong or evil, but that alumni can be positive influences in building a sense of community where everyone is accepted.
Beatty added to that sentiment by explaining that an effort to include others can give more meaning to a legal career than the billable hours alone.
“One of the things that we strive to do is help our students find a purpose … for us, purpose involves not just their career, but also their discipleship,” she said. “Belonging and making everybody feel welcome is an important component of the service that we do.”