John Mejía

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John joined Christensen & Jensen in 2024 to continue his focus on litigating complex civil rights cases. After graduating from the University of Chicago Law School with honors in 2003, he began his legal career as an associate in the insurance litigation group at Sidley Austin, LLP in Chicago. After working there for four years, he moved back to Utah, where he grew up.  He served as a law clerk to the Honorable Judge Tena Campbell and the Honorable Judge Clark Waddoups in the U.S. District Court for Utah between 2008 and 2012. He then became Legal Director of the ACLU of Utah, where, for over a decade, he worked on a wide variety of high impact civil rights cases. In that role, he helped clients from every background and every walk of life promote and defend their civil rights and individual liberties. His work on civil rights cases continues at Christensen & Jensen, but his efforts have also expanded to other areas, including bringing benefits claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.

John’s work as an advocate and specialized knowledge has earned him numerous invitations to present to many audiences on various topics. He has considerable media experience, including giving hundreds of interviews to local and national media outlets in English and Spanish. He has testified at the Utah State Legislature and local governments on a variety of issues impacting people’s civil rights. He has received recognitions from various organizations for his work at the ACLU of Utah, including from Utah Pride and the Navajo Nation Council.  

John habla español.

AREAS OF PRACTICE

Civil Rights Law & Litigation

John has litigated numerous high impact civil rights cases in federal and state courts in Utah. Representative matters include:

  • Obtained five- and six-figure jury verdicts in favor of prisoners against a county in Utah.
  • Reached significant monetary settlements in a variety of other civil rights matters
  • Helped reach settlement agreement with a county in Utah to strengthen language assistance for Navajo voters.
  • Achieved injunctive relief on a variety of topics in numerous cases

Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974

Represents families denied benefits under employer-sponsored health plans by bringing actions under Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 in federal court.

Represents parties bringing various other kinds of actions, including malicious prosecution and infliction of emotional distress.

ADMITTED TO PRACTICE

  • The State of Utah
  • United States District Court for the District of Utah
  • Tenth Circuit Court of Appeal

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

  • Utah Hispanic Bar Association
  • Chair-Elect/Treasurer, Constitutional Law Section of the Utah State Bar

EDUCATION

  • University of Chicago Law School, J.D. with Honors, 2003 Brown University, B.A., English and American Literature, with Honors, 1997

     

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

  • Served as voting member of the Utah Sentencing Commission 2023-2024
  • Coaches high school mock trial team

SELECTED RULINGS & OPINIONS

  • iMatter Utah v. Njord, 774 F.3d 1258 (10th Cir. 2014)
  • Evans v. Utah, 21 F. Supp. 3d 1192 – (D. Utah 2014)

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