An innovative loan repayment program at California Western provides debt relief for young lawyers committed to representing underserved clients in the public sector.

A year out of college, Nick Falcone '04 started struggling with the big questions. He was working in the advertising department at a San Diego television station, but the work just wasn’t meaningful for him. How could he have more of an impact on the world around him, he wondered. How could he do something that was more satisfying and substantial?

Falcone decided to enroll at California Western and become a lawyer. He became interested in public interest law and contemplated pursuing a career focusing on immigration or constitutional law issues. After graduating, Falcone returned home to Utah where he landed a job with the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association. The nonprofit organization handles all indigent criminal cases in the state of Utah, providing legal defense for clients who cannot afford to be represented.

Working in a public sector firm with large caseloads and a limited number of lawyers, Falcone quickly was immersed in the world of criminal defense.

"My first three weeks were a fast-paced introduction. I was in the Salt Lake County Jail within my first week and then I started seeing judges. It was a little overwhelming at first," he says.

"At the misdemeanor level, there are a lot of regular people who are charged with DUI or petty larceny. You are dealing with people who have never been in the criminal system and they’re terrified. They’re not hardened criminals. They’re just regular people who have made mistakes," he says.

"And they need a strong defense attorney who they believe will help them in their lives."

In his two years at the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association, Falcone has become an advocate for a strong legal defense for everyone in the system. He points to a case involving a legal immigrant who was falsely accused by her husband of domestic violence. If she were found guilty of the charge, Falcone’s client would have been deported. He and his bare bones legal team defended the client in a jury trial and she was acquitted.