Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake is a private non-profit organization that provides legal representation to individuals with family law cases as well as those needing protective orders or civil stalking injunctions in the Third District Court in Salt Lake County.

Staff

Stewart Ralphs
Executive Director
Stewart Ralphs graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.A. in History and minors in Political Science and English. In 1990, Mr. Ralphs received his juris doctorate degree from the University of Utah's S.J. Quinney College of Law. After being admitted to the Utah Bar, he worked briefly in private practice. Mr. Ralphs joined Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake in 1991 as a Domestic Relations attorney. Beginning in 1992, Mr. Ralphs served as Director of the Domestic Violence Program for two years and then, in 1994, he was selected to be the Executive Director. Mr. Ralphs is involved in public policy issues and serves as a legislative representative for the Family Law Section and Utah Domestic Violence Council.

Keri Gardner
Domestic Violence Victim Assistance (DVVA) Program Director
Keri Gardner, Legal Aid Society's DVVA program director, received her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Utah College of Law in 1993 and is licensed to practice law with the Utah State Bar. Ms. Gardner began her legal career in the Salt Lake District Attorney's office where she prosecuted cases in Juvenile Court in the area of juvenile crime and civil child abuse and neglect petitions. Ms. Gardner participated in the pro bono project "Friend of Court" representing pro se litigants who were not represented by Legal Aid Society in protective order actions. She was on the Foster Care Citizens Review Board in 1996-1998 where she reviewed DCFS foster care cases and made recommendations to the court regarding children in the foster care system. Ms Gardner has been employed at Legal Aid since March 2001, where she represents victims of domestic violence in protective order actions before Domestic Relations Commissioners at the Matheson Courthouse. Ms. Gardner also conducts the "Ask an Attorney" weekly sessions where victims of domestic violence can get additional information about their protective order. Ms. Gardner became the director of Legal Aid's DVVA program in March of 2012.

Board

The LAS Board is composed of prominent members of our legal and professional community who value and support the access to justice provided by our services. If you are interested in serving on the LAS Board, click here to send an e-mail to Mary Cranney, Development Director