About Jack
Jack Helgesen earned his law degree from Brigham Young University in 1980 after completing a bachelor’s degree in finance at Weber State University in 1977. He arrived in practice at a moment when courtroom experience often came early and fast. Those early years set the tone for a career that would blend trial work with organizational leadership.
He began his legal career at Bethancourt & Fuller in 1980. Two years later he became a partner at Helgesen, Houtz & Jones, a firm where he continues to practice. The move into partnership came quickly but followed an intensive period of litigation and case management at his first firm. Over time he maintained a steady presence in the courtroom while also taking on firm management responsibilities.
Helgesen is licensed in both Utah and Arizona. His memberships and positions in bar and trial associations chart a long involvement in the trial bar. He served as president of the Utah Trial Lawyers Association from 1994 to 1996. He spent two decades on that organization’s Board of Governors beginning in 1987. On a national level, he held a governor’s role in the Association of Trial Lawyers of America from 1996 to 2005, and he served on the American Association for Justice Board of Governors from 2006 to 2010.
Beyond governance roles, Helgesen has been active in professional development and mentoring. He has been a Master in the American Inns of Court since 1996, a position often associated with mentoring younger lawyers and promoting ethical practice. He joined the National Association of Elder Law Lawyers in 2008 and remains a member. Since 2010 he has served on the Advisory Board of the Utah Association for Justice, contributing to continuing education and policy discussions within the state bar community.
Those roles reflect a practice that combines trial litigation and issues that commonly intersect with elder law. He has handled cases that require courtroom preparation, client counseling, and coordination with experts. Colleagues describe him as someone who moves comfortably between the demands of trial work and the practicalities of running a firm.
He continues to practice at Helgesen, Houtz & Jones, where his work centers on trial litigation and elder law matters.
