Attorneys
Emily Adams
Partner
Freyja Johnson
Partner
Sara Pfrommer
Appellate Attorney, Of Counsel
Rachel Phillips Ainscough
Appellate Attorney
Heather Ellison
Appellate Attorney
Anna Grigsby
Appellate Attorney
Jessica Holzer
Appellate Attorney
Hannah Leavitt-Howell
Appellate Attorney
Mikayla Irvin
Appellate Attorney
MJ Townsend
Appellate Attorney
Brittany Urness
Appellate Attorney
Emily co-founded The Appellate Group in 2020, and the firm has since grown to become the largest appellate law firm in Utah, handling around 20 percent of appeals in Utah’s appellate courts. She counsels with clients to determine their best strategy on appeal and strategizes with clients and attorneys about preparing for an appeal while in district court.
Emily graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School and clerked for the Minnesota appellate courts and the Federal District Court for the District of Minnesota before moving to Utah. Emily practices before the Utah Supreme Court and the Utah Court of Appeals. She also has litigated post-trial motions in the district court and has participated in amicus briefing in the United States Supreme Court and the Eleventh Circuit.
Emily enjoys long walks and hiking, good food, and interesting books.
Education
University of Minnesota Law School
J.D., magna cum laude
Order of the Coif
Lead Managing Editor, ABA Journal of Labor and Employment Law
Brigham Young University
B.A., Linguistics, cum laude
Clerkships
Federal District Court for the District of Minnesota
Minnesota Court of Appeals
Awards
Utah Business Magazine Forty Under 40 (2024)
Utah Legal Elite (2022)
Super Lawyer Rising Star (2019 to 2020)
Utah Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Distinguished Service Award (2019)
Admissions
Utah
United States Supreme Court
Professional Involvement
Women Lawyers of Utah
Appellate Roster for Indigent Criminal Appeals
Clinical Supervisor, BYU Law School Indigent Defense Appeals Clinical Alliance (2021-2024)
Utah Appellate Rules Committee (2021-2024)
Utah Association for Justice Amicus Committee (2022-2024)
CLE Presentations
2023
Utah Appellate Courts, Preparing for Oral Argument
Utah Association for Justice, Case Law Update
Utah State Bar Summer Convention, Improving Oral Advocacy Skills
Parental Defense Alliance, 2023 Cases and Issues to Push