By Hank McIntire
Jonathan Mortensen, Wood research assistant at the UVU Center for Constututional Studies.
A native of Springville, Utah, Jonathan Mortensen, always knew he wanted to be an attorney, and those around him did too. On the last day of fourth grade, his teacher wrote in his yearbook, “Remember me when you go to law school.”
Growing up as the youngest of four, Jonathan played the piano from a young age, and he loved to be around people. In high school his interest in law, justice, and government nudged him toward working in law enforcement at the county, state, or federal level.
That interest, coupled with his service as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Bakersfield, Calif., brought out Jonathan’s love “for interacting with people of all different backgrounds,” he explained.
When Jonathan came to UVU he majored in psychology, having in mind to work with people via a career in the DEA or the FBI. “With my interest in legal affairs, my counselor suggested a Constitutional Studies minor,” he said.
In his junior year, he had two landmark experiences. “I fell in love—first with my girlfriend and now-wife Rachel, and then with a constitutional-history course I took,” said Jonathan.
“I read a lot of case law and applied legal theory,” he continued. “That course and the minor helped me discover an excitement for learning that I hadn’t had with any other subject. I started reading books and listening to podcasts on American law, and the lyceums and guest speakers helped me fine-tune the areas of law I have come to appreciate.”
About that time Jonathan applied for a research-assistant position for the Quill Project at UVU’s Center for Constitutional Studies. He was assigned in September 2025 to work on modeling the Iowa (1857) and Ohio (1850–1851) constitutional conventions.
“It’s incredible to see the effort that goes into the thinking behind state constitutions,” he said. “It’s cool to see that they are not just words copied and pasted from other constitutions. It strengthened my appreciation of federalism and the rule of law.”
Jonathan recognizes the opportunities he has been given at UVU and CCS. “It can’t be overstated how important it is to enable students to get firsthand experiences in being a citizen of a state or country,” he said. “It has a big impact on creating leaders and the environment of the future.”
In the spring of 2026, Jonathan graduated summa cum laude (4.0 GPA) with a B.S. in Psychology and received an exceptional-student award from UVU’s College of Humanities & Social Sciences.
Having been accepted to law school at both George Mason and Brigham Young University, Jonathan continues to work at CCS on the Quill Project in preparation for his law studies at BYU in the fall with a quarter-tuition scholarship
After he finishes at BYU in three years, Jonathan wants to do public law, working in government or criminal justice. “My dream job would be to work criminal in appeals, starting at the state or federal level first, perhaps as a public defender,” he said.
“My mission taught me to see divine value in each person,” Jonathan added, “and that strengthened my conviction of due process, equal protection, and safeguarding people’s unalienable rights, as outlined in the Declaration of Independence. As an attorney, I get to do that.”
“I guess my fourth-grade teacher was right,” he said with a smile. “I should let her know.”
