The inaugural installment of BYU Law’s “Faith in Practice” series on February 28 welcomed a panel of distinguished alumni: Leslie Gallacher (‘00), Parsons Behle & Latimer; Athelia Graham (‘19), Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains; and Hutch Fale (‘06), Avery Burdsal & Fale, PC.
Leslie Gallagher recalled her feelings of inadequacy when she arrived at BYU Law. “I didn’t know if I had the confidence to walk in the door. Nobody in my family had even gone to college.” She did walk in the door, and she excelled, but her goal was never success—her goal was to help others. In doing so, she has often found herself in uncharted waters, trusting in the Lord. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said to myself, ‘I know nothing about this, but I can learn.’”
While at BYU Law, Athelia Graham was involved with the Immigration and Refugee Initiative, traveling to Dilly, TX to help immigrants with asylum applications. “In this setting, I was helping people make sense of difficult things in their lives. Now, as an immigration attorney I continue to have the opportunity to do this and to show charity every day. This is how I combine my faith with my intellectual pursuits.”
Hutch Fale observed that, “Faith will impact your practice to the degree it impacts your life. When faith is the driving force in your life, you cannot prevent it from blessing your law practice.” He emphasized the importance of personal revelation, linking spiritual guidance to confidence and peace. “Things don’t always have to make sense. If you counsel with the Lord and then do what you feel is right, you are on the right track.”
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