The Utah State Bar has officially installed its new leadership, marking a transition that carries significance well beyond Utah’s legal profession.
Tyler Young has taken the helm as President from Kim Cordova, while Thomas J. Bayles has assumed the role of President-Elect once held by Young. New members of the Utah State Board of Bar Commissioners have also taken office, with Utah Supreme Court Justice Paige Petersen administering the oath.
“We are deeply grateful to former President Cordova for her leadership and for the strong trajectory she set for the Bar,” said Bar Executive Director Elizabeth Wright. “Her presidency advanced the services we provide to our licensees, strengthened how we communicate with attorneys and the public, and expanded our commitment to civic education. Our new leadership is building on that strong foundation, with a continued focus on improving how the Bar serves Utah’s legal profession and the public.”
For Utahns, the work of the Bar and its governing Commission matters because a strong legal profession directly affects people at pivotal moments in their lives. Utahns rely on lawyers and courts to start businesses, purchase homes, resolve family disputes, protect constitutional rights, prosecute and defend criminal cases, and navigate the civil justice system.
The Bar Commissioners are the volunteer governing board that oversees the activities of the Bar. Commissioners represent geographic divisions across Utah and serve staggered three-year terms. The Bar’s work includes programs involving ethics, professional education, access to justice, lawyer licensing and support, and services for the public.
Young Takes the Helm
Young assumes the presidency after serving for several years on the Board of Bar Commissioners and most recently as President-Elect. During his prior service, Young emphasized protecting the public while strengthening the legal profession. His stated priorities have included addressing the access-to-justice gap, ensuring lawyers have a meaningful voice in policy discussions affecting the practice of law, expanding the Bar’s engagement with attorneys and communities outside the Wasatch Front, and developing stronger succession-planning resources to protect clients when an attorney unexpectedly becomes unable to continue practicing.
Young has described the overarching goal of his leadership as strengthening the profession, protecting the public and ensuring the Bar supports Utah attorneys in ways that ultimately help them better serve their clients and communities.
Bayles Begins Term as President-Elect
Bayles, of ProvenLaw, PLLC, was elected President-Elect and will serve in that position during the 2026–2027 fiscal year before assuming the presidency for the 2027–2028 term.
Bayles brings more than three years of experience on the Board of Bar Commissioners to the role. In outlining his priorities, Bayles has emphasized professionalism, ethical practice and ensuring attorneys have the resources necessary to serve their clients with integrity and excellence.
He has also identified mentorship, stronger support for Bar licensees and collaborative relationships with Utah’s legislative branch as priorities for his leadership.
New Commissioners Bring Regional and Professional Perspectives
The leadership transition comes at a consequential time for Utah’s justice system, as the legal profession confronts questions surrounding access to legal services, rapidly changing technology with AI, the independence of the judiciary, attorney professionalism and the public’s confidence in legal institutions.
Nicole Johnston — Young Lawyers Division President & American Bar Association (ABA) Delegate
Johnston assumes leadership of the Young Lawyers Division from Alex Vandiver. YLD provides newer members of Utah’s legal profession opportunities for professional development, service, leadership and engagement in the Bar and their communities. As an ABA delegate, Johnston will serve as a connection between Utah’s legal community and the national ABA, bringing the state bar’s perspective into ABA deliberations and reporting back on national issues.
R. Christian Hansen — First Division Commissioner
Hansen represents the First Division on the Board of Bar Commissioners. His election helps ensure attorneys and communities in northern Utah have a voice in statewide discussions about the profession and administration of the Bar.
Yvette Donosso — Second Division Commissioner
Donosso represents the Second Division, bringing the perspective of attorneys practicing in that region to the Commission as it considers policies and programs affecting lawyers, clients and the justice system statewide.
Jeremy C. Reutzel — Fourth Division Commissioner
Reutzel represents the Fourth Division and adds another regional perspective to a governing board whose decisions must account for the needs of attorneys and the public throughout Utah, not solely along the Wasatch Front.
Ashley Biehl — Third Division Commissioner
Biehl is a Section Director in the Education Division of the Utah Attorney General’s Office and previously served on young-lawyer leadership boards in both Nevada and Utah, including as President of the Utah Young Lawyers Division.
Ezzy Khaosanga — Third Division Commissioner
Khaosanga, a Utah native, brings experience with the Bar’s Character and Fitness Committee, the YLD and the ABA House of Delegates. She has also previously served as an appointed Bar Commissioner.
Walter Romney, Jr. — Third Division Commissioner
Romney brings nearly three decades of legal practice and a long-standing commitment to mentorship and professional service. In seeking election, he emphasized the importance of a Bar that is responsive to lawyers working across private practice, government, public service and the courts.
Why Bar Leadership Matters to Utahns
Although Bar leadership changes may appear primarily important to lawyers, the Commission’s responsibilities have a much broader impact.
A strong legal profession helps ensure that Utahns can find competent counsel, that attorneys understand and meet their ethical obligations, that people have avenues to seek legal assistance, and that the justice system maintains the professionalism and independence necessary to earn public confidence.
The Bar provides public-facing resources involving legal assistance, attorney concerns, fee disputes and client protection, while also working on access-to-justice initiatives and professional standards. The Commission’s leadership therefore helps shape how the organized legal profession responds to changes that ultimately reach courtrooms, businesses, families and communities across the state.
That public responsibility is particularly significant as Utah continues to explore new approaches to delivering legal services and as lawyers, courts and policymakers confront the effects of technology, affordability and rapid population growth on the justice system.
The incoming Commission combines representatives from multiple regions of Utah with attorneys whose backgrounds include government service, employment law, private practice, young-lawyer leadership and community engagement. Their terms begin with a common responsibility: ensuring that Utah’s legal profession remains capable of serving not only Bar licensees, but the public whose trust the justice system depends upon.
About the Utah State Bar
Established in 1931 and operating under the authority of the Utah Supreme Court, the Utah State Bar regulates and supports the legal profession in the state. With over 12,000 licensed attorneys, the Bar is committed to promoting a justice system that is accessible, understood, valued, and respected. Governed by a Commission of elected attorneys from Utah’s judicial districts, the Bar provides resources, education, and support to enhance the professional practice of its licensees and upholds the public’s trust in the legal system.
