Recognizing Hispanic Heritage: ODEIB Features
Jennifer Ruiz, 3L, was inspired to become a lawyer based on a negative experience with the legal profession as a child. “When I was young, my mother had a personal injury law suit and I would go into the attorney’s office with my parents. Even as a child I noticed the difference in how he would speak to my family and his other clients. I felt as if he spoke to us was lesser because of my father’s accent,” she explained.
Ruiz’s family is originally from Guanajuato, Mexico. “The experiences I had a child made me reflect on the scarcity of Latino and Spanish speaking attorneys available to the community.”
Ruiz is President of the Hispanic and Latino Law Student Association (HiLLSA) for the 2024-2025 school year. “HiLLSA is looking forward to having our Second Annual Community Dance event. Dancing means so much to our culture and it is a large part of the events we have planned this year. We are also planning a separate salsa night while planning study sessions and providing mentorship opportunities to students.
In addition to HiLLSA, Ruiz is the Vice President of the Cyber and Privacy Law Student Association and the student representative to the Detroit Mercy Law Alumni Board. She has worked as a summer associate for the past two summers at large national law firms.
Osvaldo Vega, 2L, grew up with the fear of being deported as an undocumented person. “I remember being out to dinner with my family when two immigration officers came into the restaurant. Out meal stopped and we were silent. We left through the back and went to the car,” he explained. “Even though I was only 10, I felt like a criminal in that moment.”
“I knew I was different growing up. Spanish was my first language and what we spoke as a family. I felt inferior to everyone else. It wasn’t until I was naturalized as a citizen that I started realizing there are a lot of voices that go unheard. There are a of people who don’t feel comfortable in America, so I thought, why not be somebody that can show others what’s possible.”
Vega is serving as the social media coordinator of the Hispanic and Latino Law Student Association (HiLLSA) for the 2024-2025 school year.
Marva De Armas ’15 knew she wanted to be an attorney from a young age. “I had family members who had encountered a number of injustices. Even then, I knew it was strange that the only time I saw attorneys was when someone was in trouble,” she explained. “I knew I wanted to change the image of what an attorney looked like.”
During her time at Detroit Mercy Law, De Armas was actively involved in the Hispanic and Latino Law Student Association. “During my time at Detroit Mercy Law, I was the only Cuban enrolled. I met other Latino or Hispanic students through the Hispanic and Latino Law Student Association and they are now my life long friends.”
De Armas opened her own firm, De Armas & De Armas Law, in 2020 specializing in working with the Cuban community. “I do mostly immigration work. I am representing people who are essentially my people. It has been a rewarding experience to serve my community.”