Meet the 2025–2026 leaders of the Latinx Law Student Association (LLSA), one of the most active and influential groups at Western State. Their mission centers on supporting Latinx law students, but LLSA welcomes all Western State students who want to connect, get involved, and help build a more inclusive legal community.
Meet the Executive Board
Jason Ruiz, 3L
President
Favorite Field(s) of Law:
Criminal Law, Immigration Law, and Medical Malpractice.
Role Models:
My Dad and my Mom, without them I wouldn’t be who I am today.
Future Goals:
To open my own criminal defense and immigration law firm and eventually become the first Latino President of the United States.
Hobbies:
Watching an playing sports, spending time with my family, and playing Fantasy Football.
Fun Fact:
I own a single share of the Green Bay Packers Football Team!
Advice for new students:
Be yourself. Focus on yourself. Life is not a competition and we are all on our own timelines. Live in the moment that God placed you in and enjoy every moment of it because one day, those moments will become cherished memories.
Kevin Torres, 3LVice President
Favorite Field(s) of Law:
Personal Injury Law, Criminal Law, and Immigration Law.
Role Models:
My parents.
Future Goals:
Pass the CA bar, launch my own firm, and help provide legal services to unrepresented communities.
Hobbies:
Basketball, Soccer, Museums, History.
Fun Fact:
I’m moderately colorblind!
Advice for new students:
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Every law student makes mistakes at some point, but they are learning opportunities to improve upon. Use the resources available to you and reach out for help when you need it.
Emily Rivera, 2LSecretary
Favorite Field(s) of Law:
I feel like I’m really all over the place with my interests, but I definitely want to litigate. Family law, immigration law, and civl litigation are all fields that interest me.
Role Models:
My biggest role model is my mom. Without her I wouldn’t be the person I am today. She has taught me to be compassionate, to treat others with respect, and most importantly, that I can do anything I set my mind to.
Future Goals:
In the future I want to open up my own law firm and be my own boss. Straight out of law school I want to focus on my career and be a baddie lawyer. I believe it’s possible to be super successful and have a family, which is what I hope to accomplish one day.
Hobbies:
I love going to the gym, workout classes, keeping up with college volleyball, cooking, and spending time with my family and friends.
Fun Fact:
When I was two years old, I tipped over a tall metal chair that fell onto my hand and broke all of my fingers.
Advice for new students:
Believe in yourself. It’s easy to doubt yourself in law school, but trust that you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t capable and know that while it’s not going to be easy, you can do it.
Nikolas Gonzalez, 3LSecretary
Favorite Field(s) of Law:
Business Law and Public Interest .
Role Models:
My parents, grandparents, Senator Alex Padilla, Harvey Milk, Justice Sotomayor.
Future Goals:
As a law student, my overarching goal is to become an attorney who operates at the intersection of business law and public interest law. I am particularly drawn to using the law to support the socioeconomic advancement of underserved communities and individuals who are too often excluded from the structures that enable economic growth and innovation.
I envision a career where I help mission-driven entrepreneurs, small businesses, and grassroots organizations, especially those in marginalized communities, navigate complex legal systems, access capital, and protect their innovations. Whether it’s through transactional work, nonprofit advising, or policy advocacy, I want to ensure that those with the vision and potential to contribute meaningfully to our economy aren’t held back by lack of legal access or structural inequality.
Ultimately, I hope to bridge the gap between legal expertise and community impact, empowering those who might not otherwise have the resources to build, grow, and contribute.
Hobbies:
Hiking, weightlifting, going to the beach.
Fun Fact:
I have 3 dobermans.
Advice for new students:
Start your outline Week 1 and continuously add to it and review it weekly.
Eleni Martinez, 2LCommunity Outreach Chair
Favorite Field(s) of Law:
Immigration Law and Criminal Defense.
Role Models:
My role model is my mom.
Future Goals:
My future goals are to be able to give back to my community, be the resource for under-resourced immigrant communities and be able to retire my parents.
Hobbies:
I love to thrift, dance, bake, and go to concerts.
Fun Fact:
I’m double jointed!
Advice for new students:
Everyone is nervous, and everyone is stressed so don’t be so hard on yourself. Also, find a balance. Law school is stressful as it is but your mind and body are also important so don’t forget to take care of yourself.
Jazmine Vences, 2LMarketing Chair
Favorite Field(s) of Law:
Family Law.
Role Models:
I don’t have one specific role model, but I’m deeply inspired by other first-generation students and professionals who have paved their own way. Seeing how they turned challenges into opportunities motivates me to keep pushing forward and create that same path for others.
Future Goals:
My long-term goal is to become a compassionate and well-versed family lawyer, advocating for families navigating divorce, custody disputes, and domestic violence. I want to help parents communicate in healthier ways and ensure that children are protected and heard during difficult transitions. Beyond practicing law, I hope to give back to my community in meaningful ways—supporting local libraries that shaped me, and eventually creating a scholarship program through my own law firm to support first-generation students like myself. My ultimate goal is to turn the challenges I’ve faced into opportunities that uplift others.
Hobbies:
I’ve always loved painting—it’s my favorite way to be creative and unwind. It gives me a creative outlet outside of law school. It’s one of the few times I can completely disconnect from stress and let my mind relax.
Fun Fact:
I love going to different libraries and cafe shops to study. It allows me to romanticize my experience of being a law student.
Advice for new students:
If I could give advice to new law students, it would be to give yourself grace and trust your ability to grow. Law school can feel overwhelming—especially if you’re the first in your family to take this path—but you don’t need to have everything figured out at once. Focus on progress, not perfection, and don’t be afraid to learn through trial and error. Build a support system of classmates, professors, and school resources, because you don’t have to do this journey alone. Remember why you started, and let that purpose guide you through the hard days.
Whether you are a first-year student or a seasoned 3L, the LLSA welcomes all students to join their community. To learn more, please email llsa@stu.wsulaw.edu.