Michelle Quist is an experienced litigator and appellate lawyer, a single mom of 7, involved in law for over 25 years.
Why I’m Running
I’m running to get the politics out of the attorney general’s office by electing a third party candidate untainted by party politics and untethered from either major political party. Let's cut the purse strings and elect a third party candidate disconnected from big party bosses. We need an honest broker at the table.
We need Michelle.
About Michelle
Michelle is a business litigator and appellate advocate representing Utah families, businesses, cities, and counties in complex civil litigation, regulatory, and appellate matters. She started her practice in 2000 as a litigator on Wall Street. Michelle has a myriad of legal experience, including as a clerk and staff attorney on the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, the Dean of Admissions of a Utah law school, an attorney in solo practice and a boutique firm, an editorial writer and opinion columnist for Utah's largest newspaper, in-house counsel for an e-commerce SaaS company, and ghostwriting for top criminal trial attorneys. Michelle has also provided political commentary for news and radio throughout Utah.
Issues
Office Priorities
Talent
Office staff deserve the time and resources from a leader who will ensure they are supported. The office needs to stop wasting resources outsourcing its best cases. Utah has some of the best attorneys in the nation. Our state's law firm should attract them, retain them, and train them to staff the state's most important cases.
Technology
The Attorney General’s office was recently discredited once again for failing to establish a workable document management system. Law firms in the state are using AI in their e-discovery tools and the state’s law firm is pulling lost thumb drives out of drawers. They are woefully behind in their discovery practices, and likely woefully behind in their other technology uses as well.
Transparency
The AG is a public official. Her staffing, public calendar, financing, and other public decisions should be transparent to taxpayers. I have nothing to hide.
Policy Issues
Support Law Enforcement
Partner with law enforcement throughout the state to ensure funding and training are at optimum levels.
Decrease Domestic Violence
The Utah Department of Public Safety has new guidelines to assess whether any Utahn is in danger when responding to domestic violence calls. Train and support law enforcement implementation of the lethality assessment protocol.
Stop Youth Sexting
Educate Utah's youth about the dangers of online sexting, including the advent of AI-generated images and their dissemination on social media.
Michelle’s Work Experience
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As an associate at Milbank in New York City, Michelle helped secure a $40 million settlement between Holocaust survivors and Austrian and German banks.
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Michelle served as a clerk and a staff attorney for Judge Monroe G. McKay on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
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Michelle was the Assistant Dean, Dean of Admissions, at BYU Law School, where she chaired the Admissions Committee and oversaw all student financial aid and scholarship decisions.
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For the past decade, Michelle has practiced as a solo practicioner, in a boutique law firm, and now at Holland & Hart LLP, focusing her practice on complex contract and business disputes, regulatory matters, fraudulent transfer litigation, oil and gas matters, public lands and roads litigation, constitutional issues, and health care matters.
Michelle’s Legal & Community Service
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2021-present
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Wellness Committee member
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2 terms as Commissioner:
2015-2018
2019-2022
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2022-2023
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September 2022-June 2023
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January 2022-December 2022;
June 2016-April 2018
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Board Member, May 2016-December 2023
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Volunteer Attorney
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March 2016-March 2020
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March 2012 - March 2017
Representative Cases
Social Media
Transparency Laws
Michelle helped write an amicus brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in support of a California law requiring social media companies to disclose information relating to their content moderation regarding hate speech, disinformation, harassment, and extremism on their platforms, and report data on enforcement of those policies.
Cities and Towns
Elections Referendum
Michelle argued before the Utah Supreme Court and helped defeat an extraordinary writ of mandamus seeking a referendum against a Utah city’s enactment of various ordinances.
Public Access to Streams
Pro Bono
Michelle argued pro bono for public access to river streambeds before the Utah Supreme Court.
Public Lands
RS 2477
Michelle went to trial to help represent Utah counties in establishing the scope of their RS 2477 rights of way, and represented them before the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in ongoing RS 2477 litigation relating to Utah’s efforts to safeguard hundreds of rights of way in southern Utah.
Silicon Slopes podcast
Project Elect podcast
Inside Utah Politics legal commentary
Domestic Violence Opinion Column
Judge McKay Opinion Column
ERA Opinion Column
Utah Bar Members Supporting Michelle
Deno Himonas, former Utah Supreme Court Justice, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati;
Kristin Woods, Past Bar President, Kristin Woods PLLC;
Robert O. Rice, Past Bar President, Ray Quinney and Nebeker;
H. Dickson Burton, Past Bar President, TraskBritt, P.C.;
Traci Gundersen, Bar Commissioner, 4Life Research;
Kate Conyers, Past Bar Commissioner, Conyers & Nix;
Sylvia Grace Acosta, Past Bar Commissioner, Trujillo and Acosta;
Scott Hansen, Parsons Behle & Latimer;
Jennifer Horne Huntsman, Holland & Hart;
Mike Harmond, Holland & Hart;
Wayne Latu, Quinn Emanuel;
Kim Swallow, Adobe;
Mat Parke, Parke Gordon;
Cherise Bacalski, The Appellate Group;
Eli McCann, Oracle;
Ann Marie Taliaferro, Brown Bradshaw & Moffat;
Zara Guinard, Holland & Hart;
John Gygi, U.S. Small Business Administration;
Deno Himonas, former Utah Supreme Court Justice, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; Kristin Woods, Past Bar President, Kristin Woods PLLC; Robert O. Rice, Past Bar President, Ray Quinney and Nebeker; H. Dickson Burton, Past Bar President, TraskBritt, P.C.; Traci Gundersen, Bar Commissioner, 4Life Research; Kate Conyers, Past Bar Commissioner, Conyers & Nix; Sylvia Grace Acosta, Past Bar Commissioner, Trujillo and Acosta; Scott Hansen, Parsons Behle & Latimer; Jennifer Horne Huntsman, Holland & Hart; Mike Harmond, Holland & Hart; Wayne Latu, Quinn Emanuel; Kim Swallow, Adobe; Mat Parke, Parke Gordon; Cherise Bacalski, The Appellate Group; Eli McCann, Oracle; Ann Marie Taliaferro, Brown Bradshaw & Moffat; Zara Guinard, Holland & Hart; John Gygi, U.S. Small Business Administration;
Get to know the United Utah Party
Click forward to the party’s website below:
The United Utah Party is perfect to host the attorney general because it values ethical government. Specifically, the UUP wants to:
Increase transparency,
Limit partisan influence,
Expand voter participation, and
Increase government accountability.
Upcoming events
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Draper Meet-n-Greet
May 1, 6:00-7:30PM
RSVP for details.
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Salt Lake City Meet-n-Greet
May 7, 6:00-7:30PM
RSVP for details.
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Provo Meet-n-Greet
May 30, 7:00-8:00PM
RSVP for details.
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Cottonwood Meet-n-Greet
June 12, 6:00-7:30 PM
RSVP for details.