Speaker details

Biography

Vanessa Ruiz is a Senior Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the highest court of the District of Columbia (Washington DC). Appointed by the US President in 1994, she is the longest-serving woman judge on the court. Prior to her judicial appointment, she was the Chief Legal Officer for the District of Columbia and engaged in the private practice of law for 20 years. Judge Ruiz is the Immediate Past President of the International Association of Women Judges and a member of the Advisory Board of the Global Judicial Integrity Network. She chaired the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct, charged with the revision and adoption of the Code of Judicial Conduct for the District of Columbia, and serves as a resource for judges issuing opinions on issues of judicial ethics. She is a Commissioner of the DC Access to Justice Commission and has sought to enhance access for vulnerable populations in the judicial system, including those who lack legal representation. She led the effort of the American Bar Association to establish national standards for language services in courts and developed a curriculum for judges to address obstacles for immigrants in courts. Judge Ruiz speaks nationally and internationally on access to justice, judicial independence and ethics and on the indispensable leadership role of women judges. She is a Past President of the (US) National Association of Women Judges, former Trustee of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a member of the American Law Institute. She is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center (Juris Doctor) and of Wellesley College (Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy), and was awarded a Juris Doctor degree honoris causa by the Washington College of Law, American University.