May 17, 2021 - Carlos Ruiz, a member of the University of Houston Law Center's class of 2018, described how his legal education has offered him professional versatility during a recent Lunch with a Lawyer event hosted by the Career Development Office. Associate Director for Career Development Chandria Jackson served as the moderator. The webinar was co-sponsored by the Intellectual Property Student Organization and the Latinx Law Students Association.
Ruiz is currently an associate at Heim, Payne & Chorush, LLP, where he primarily practices in the areas of patent litigation and class-action antitrust cases. During law school, he gained exposure to several types of practice areas through numerous internships.
"There are a lot of interesting areas out there," Ruiz said. “I love patent litigation, but I'm still looking for ways to diversify my skills. One way I'm doing that is pro bono work. I'm doing an immigration case representing a child from Central America trying to achieve legal status in the U.S. The law degree is very flexible and powerful. It can get many doors open.”
Ruiz is a native of Venezuela, and he moved to the U.S. with his family in 2006. He said he embraces the diversity and unique perspective he provides in his workplace.
"When we arrived in the U.S., our mission was to learn the language and adapt to the culture as much as we can," he said. "I've taken that same approach to the legal profession and my career. I'm a firm believer that you add value to cases from a technical and strategic perspective."
The Career Development Office hosts Lunch with a Lawyer and Dinner with a Lawyer events, which allows attorneys to have candid conversations with student and recent alumni about their practice areas and employer environments.
