Kristen Ruano

Law

Intellectual property, social justice/public interest

Involvement

Within the SU Law community, I have engaged in pro bono projects through the Access to Justice Institute (ATJI) and International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), including the Microsoft and Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle Virtual Records Clinic via the ATJI, the Afghan Special Immigration Visa case support project via IRAP, and the Advocacy Week virtual legislative meetings to save asylum via IRAP. I am thankful for these projects, as they have allowed me to be engaged from afar as a Flex JD student who is based in California. Outside of the Seattle U Law community, I am a volunteer with the humanitarian organization Border Kindness, through which my team and I leave water and care packages along known migrant trails on the U.S./Mexico border. In addition to my full-time job within the California community college system, I am an intern at California Lawyers for the Arts (CLA), a lawyer referral service for the creative arts community. I am also a volunteer at the Youth Education Law Collaborative, an organization that provides legal assistance to K-12 students who are experiencing barriers to accessing an equitable education.

Passion

Growing up, my parents emphasized giving back to the community and encouraged me to be involved in social justice issues that resonated with me. This is a value that is ingrained within me and fuels my ‘why.’ As a proud third-generation descendant of Mexican immigrants, I want to use my privilege to expand legal access to BIPOC, immigrant, and LGBTQIA+ communities to address the intersectional injustices that we have in common.