Alumnus Louie Ruiz’s Path to Success Started with History at CPP
As an attorney, Louie Ruiz spends his days researching cases, examining evidence and building arguments for his clients.
Those skills might seem like the natural product of an education in law, but Ruiz traces them back to an unexpected place: Cal Poly Pomona’s history department.
“I had no idea what my career was going to be when I first took history courses,” said Ruiz (’11, history). “My experience learning how to research at Cal Poly Pomona made me an excellent attorney. I always find a way to win based on my research skills. I attribute my time at CPP as crucial to my success.”
Ruiz specializes in probate and estate planning law. The most difficult part about being an attorney is that even when he does everything he can, not everyone will be happy with the results, he said. However, when he can help clients plan ahead or iron out a dispute in court, it brings him satisfaction.
“I always say not to thrive in conflict, but to thrive in resolution,” Ruiz said. “I like that people who don’t have power can have power with the right attorney.”
Discovering His Passion
Long before he discovered his resolve in the courtroom, Ruiz had to figure out his future.
The East Los Angeles native didn’t consider himself particularly academic in high school. His favorite subject was PE. After he graduated, he took a break for a year and headed out to Pomona, where he had family.
The first-generation college student enrolled at Mt. SAC and discovered that he was capable of doing college-level work.
“Before college, I hadn’t even read a book,” he said.
He transferred to Cal Poly Pomona in 2008 with a plan to study civil engineering.
However, he quickly realized engineering wasn’t for him and switched to history.
It was a passion for religion that prompted him to pursue a history degree. CPP offered several classes on ancient Israel and the Middle East at that time, and Ruiz was hooked.
“I wanted to see what kind of historical evidence I could find related to religion, Christianity specifically,” he said. “It was very interesting to me.”
While at CPP, Ruiz had an opportunity to travel to Israel as a student to participate in an excavation project with faculty and considered getting a doctorate focused on the history of that region.
The trip connected what he was learning in the classroom and set him on the path to becoming a scholar. He credits CPP History Professor Emerita Amanda Podany and other faculty in the department for encouraging him in his studies and research. Podany wrote recommendation letters for him in support of his graduate school dreams, he added.
“Cal Poly Pomona has given me so much,” he said. “The history department and my professors were really there for me.”
Pursuing His Purpose
Ruiz’s pivot to a career in law was a personal one. A family member who struggled with an asset dispute sparked his interest in becoming an attorney.
He carried the knowledge and skills developed at CPP — researching, evaluating evidence, identifying patterns, understanding people and building arguments — to Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. History classes taught him how to ask questions and investigate answers, and law school gave him a place to put those skills to work.
While at Southwestern, Ruiz clerked for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, participated in a trial and served as the president of the Latino Law Students Association. He and his peers helped raise funds for the homeless and for students in need at Hoover Elementary in Los Angeles.
“I came from an underprivileged background, so I know what struggle is like,” he said. “I was the first in my family to go to college, and my younger siblings looked up to me and went to college because I inspired them.”
For Ruiz, helping people is a core value.
Through his two offices in Ontario and Los Angeles, he and his firm do pro bono work for Catholic nuns and other clients in need. He is active in the Mexican American Bar Association, donating funds and giving his time for various events.
At Cal Poly Pomona, he is active in the Latin Alumni Association chapter, previously serving as vice president. He has pledged $2,000 to the Hilda Solis Scholarship Fund to help students in need on their road to success.
“Giving back is very important, especially for people in my position,” Ruiz said. “The effort that my professors put into me and the opportunities they provided, it is well worth it to give back to Cal Poly Pomona.”