Emily Haws Wright

Emily Haws Wright is a member of the firm’s Appellate and First Amendment and Religious Organizations practice groups. Her work centers on substantive, technical drafting across a wide range of constitutional and civil matters. Emily has represented numerous nonprofit organizations as amici curiae in federal appellate courts and has served as a named author on several amicus briefs filed before the United States Supreme Court.

 

In addition to her extensive drafting experience, Emily has hands-on experience in both trial and appellate courts, giving her an informed perspective on what courts value from the initial filing through the final appeal. She began her legal career as a law clerk to Judge Kent J. Dawson of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada and later clerked for Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant of the Utah Supreme Court.

Education

• William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV, JD, cum laude
  • Editor-in-Chief, Nevada Law Journal (law review)
  • Founding Editor, Nevada Law Journal Forum
  • William S.  Boyd Outstanding Graduate Award
  • Judge Lloyd D. George Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition, First Place and Best Oral Advocate
  • Kaufman Securities Moot Court Competition, Second Place
  • Legal Writing and Property teaching assistant
• University of Utah, BA, Latin American Studies

Experience

• Prior to joining Kirton McConkie, Emily was an associate at Latham & Watkins in California where her practice focused on complex environmental litigation, representing clients in connection with toxic tort, water quality, hazardous waste, and other environmental and land use laws in California state and federal courts.
• During her time at Latham, Emily also developed a significant state appellate practice, co-authoring three successful petitions to the California Courts of Appeal, and one successful petition to the California Supreme Court.

• California
• Utah
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

• Utah Supreme Court, Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant
• United States District Court, District of Nevada, The Honorable Kent J. Dawson

• Utah Business Magazine Forty Under 40 Honoree (2026)
• Mountain States Super Lawyers Rising Star: Appellate, Constitutional Law (2023-2024)