Investing in the Community

January 2022

Law School

Photo courtesy Martha Wingate

While living in Boston, Massachusetts, Martha Wingate founded a nonprofit organization that connected families experiencing homelessness to community resources with the goal of helping them get back into housing. That’s when the mother of nine first considered law school.

At BYU Law, Wingate has worked as the lead student fellow of the Law School’s Community Legal Clinic, which provides free legal services in matters such as immigration, contracts, and housing. “Working with the clinic has been tremendously meaningful. I always feel uplifted and energized when I can listen to people. I love knowing that I can make a difference by helping to resolve something legally that will help them move forward,” she says. “It’s inspiring that BYU Law is investing in the community in this way.”

After graduating, Wingate joined Ray Quinney & Nebeker, where she is involved with immigration, mergers and acquisitions, and estate planning. Wingate is still engaged with BYU Law’s immigration efforts. “The Law School has a relationship with No More a Stranger, a foundation that advocates on behalf of individuals from immigrant, migrant, and refugee backgrounds,” she says. “That’s something that I really enjoy working on.”