Ruby Lichte Powers
Attorney Ruby L. Powers is Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. The child of a Mexican immigrant, Powers gravitated toward an international life by later marrying a Turkish immigrant. Having lived and studied in Belgium, Mexico, Turkey, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates, Powers speaks Spanish, French, and a hint of Turkish. With a passion for service and justice coupled with cultural understanding and an interest for immigrants, Powers dedicates her law practice to immigration law. Outside of the office, she loves spending time and traveling with her family.
- Education:
- University of North Carolina, School of Law, J.D.
- University of Texas, B.A. Government, magna cum laude
- Study Abroad:
- Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona (Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar), Spain
- Tecnológico de Monterrey, Cuernavaca, Mexico
- Professional Memberships:
- State Bar of Texas, November 2008
- U.S. Supreme Court, February 2017
- Board Certified – Immigration and Nationality Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 2013
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- Travis Elementary PTA Legislative Action Chair 2017-2019
- Leadership Houston Class XXXVI
- Women Business Owner’s Group, Co-founder and member, 2017- present
- Rotary E-Club of Houston, Founding member 2014
- American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Texas Chapter Member
- AILA Law Practice Management Committee member 2013-2015, Chair 2015-2017
- AILA Fundamentals Conference Committee member 2014-2015
- AILA Texas New Mexico Oklahoma Chapter DMV Liaison 2013-2014
- AILA Texas New Mexico Oklahoma Chapter Advocacy Liaison 2014-2018
- AILA Fundamental Online Course Committee, 2018
- AILA Texas Service Center Committee, 2018-2019
- AILA Medica Advocacy Commitee, 2018-2019
- American Bar Association (ABA)
- Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA)
- Mexican American Bar Association of Houston (MABAH)
- Hispanic Bar Association of Houston (HisBa)
- Houston Bar Association: Speakers Bureau Committee 2010-17, Professionalism Committee 2013-2015
- Houston Young Lawyers Association (HYLA)
- Rotary Foundation Alumni Association
- Better Business Bureau (BBB) 2013-2018
- Pro Bono:
- Justice for Our Neighbors, Advisory Board, 2015-present
- Casa Juan Diego, 2010-present, Pro Bono attorney
- Catholic Charities Immigration Services, 2010-present, Pro Bono attorney
- YMCA Immigration Legal Services, 2010-2011 Pro Bono asylum litigation case, 2013 Pro Bono asylum case
- Casa Juan Diego, 2010-present, Pro Bono attorney
- Tahirih Justice Center, Houston, 2010-2013 Pro Bono attorney (asylum litigation, U-visa)
- Neighborhood Centers, Inc. (NCI)/ Mayor’s Office for Immigrant and Refugee Affairs(MOIRA)/National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), 2010-2013 Pro Bono Immigration Attorney at Citizenship and Immigration Forums
- University of Houston, Immigration Clinic, 2010 Pro Bono attorney
- Languages:
- English
- Spanish
- French
- Turkish ( next language to learn!)
- Countries lived in:
- United States
- Turkey
- Mexico
- Belgium
- Spain
- United Arab Emirates
- Professional Speaking Engagements/ Continued Legal Education Seminars:
- LawLine.com, Applying for Consular Processing and I-601 Waivers in Juarez, Mexico, September 9, 2011
- LawLine.com, Overview of I-601 Waivers and Techniques for Success, January 11, 2012
- American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), How to Start an Immigration Practice, February 17, 2012
- LawLine.com, Changes in I-601 Foreign-Filed Waivers, October 17, 2012
- AILA, 20 Tips for Marketing on a Shoestring Budget, Solo & Small Practice: Business School for Immigration Lawyers, Washington, D.C., October 25, 2012
- AILA, 2013 AILA Annual Conference on Immigration Law, San Francisco, California, June 27, 2013
- AILA, Houston Chapter, Law Practice Management topic, November 21, 2013
- AILA, Podcast, How to Run Your Law Practice from a Tropical Island, January 8, 2014
- Texas State Bar, 2014 Immigration Law 101, Houston, Texas, February 4, 2014
- University of Houston Law Center, Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law and South Texas College of Law, 4th Annual Immigration Law Symposium,Houston, Texas, March 20, 2014
- AILA, Texas, OK, NM Chapter Spring Conference, Practice Management: How to effectively use technology to manage & to promote your practice, Dallas, Texas, April 25, 2014
- AILA, 2014 AILA Annual Conference on Immigration Law, Boston, MA, June 22, 2014
- AILA, Fundamentals Conference, Waivers, New Orleans, LA, October 17, 2014
- AILA, Fundamentals Conference, Law Practice Management, New Orleans, LA, October 17, 2014
- AILA Podcasts, Fee Agreements, March 2015
- AILA Podcasts, Women in Immigration Law, March 2015
- AILA, Texas, OK, NM Chapter Spring Conference, Law Practice Management, Santa Fe, NM, April 24, 2015
- LawLine.com, Provisional Waiver Update, 2 Years Later, May 11, 2015
- Houston Bar Association, Law Practice Management section, June 3, 2015
- AILA, 2015 AILA Annual Conference on Immigration Law, Washington, D.C., June 18, 2015
- AILA, Texas, OK, NM Chapter Spring Conference, Advocacy, Austin, TX, April 15, 2016
- Texas Minority Attorney Program, Houston, TX, May 20, 2016
- AILA, 2016 AILA Annual Conference on Immigration Law, Las Vegas, NV, June 25, 2016
- AILA, 2016 Paralegals Conference, New Orleans, LA, August 5, 2016
- South Texas College of Law Houston, CLE, Presentation on Waivers, Houston, Texas, November 18, 2016
- AILA, 2016 AILA Solo and Small Firm Practice Management Conference, Seeking out New Life and Civilizations: Attracting and Keeping the Clients You Want; Technology Today: Tools, Tricorders, and Tips to Sustain Your Practice, Orlando, Florida, December 8, 2016
- Houston Bar Association, Business School Boot Camp for the Law Practice Manager: Key Lessons from Managing a Law Firm for 7 Years, Houston, Texas, January 11, 2017
- AILA, 2017, Podcast Speech, Associate Compensation Packages, January 19, 2017
- AILA, 2017 AILA Annual Conference on Immigration Law, Ethical Challenges in Engagement Agreements, New Orleans, Louisiana, June 24, 2017
- Houston Bar Association, Business School Boot Camp for the Law Practice Manager: Key Lessons to Give Your Firm a Competitive Edge, Houston, Texas, August 2017
- UT CLE Conference, October 2017
- Texas State Bar, 2018 Advanced Immigration Law Conference, Houston, Texas, February 2018
- AILA, 2018 AILA Annual Conference on Immigration Law, Lawyer as Manager, San Francisco, California, June 16, 2018
- State Bar of Texas, Houston, Texas, June 2018
- Publications:
- AILA Law Practice Management, Running your Law Firm Remotely, October 2012
- AILA VOICE Magazine, How to Avoid Staffing Nightmares, May/June 2013
- Houston Latino Magazine, Employment and Investment Immigration Options in the United States, October 2013
- Houston Bar Association, The Houston Lawyer Magazine, Immigration Issues Unique to a Plaintiffs’ Practice, September/October 2013
- AILA Law Practice Management, How to Effectively Manage your Staff Remotely, October 2013
- Houston Latino Magazine, Provisional Waivers, November 2013
- Houston Latino Magazine, Immigration Reform, January 2014
- AILA Immigration Practice News, Benefits and Creative Compensation to Retain Talent, November 2014
- AILA Immigration Practice News, Executive Action and Your Firm’s Staff: Plan Accordingly, January 2015
- AILA Law Practice Management, Women in Immigration Law, March 2015
- Awards:
- AILA Advocacy Award for outstanding efforts in support of AILA’s legislative agenda, 2017
- Houston Business Journal, Women Who Mean Business Women to Watch Finalist, 2016
- Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses 2015
- Houston Business Journal, 40 Under 40 Award, 2014
- Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship – 2004-2005, Barcelona, Spain
- Rotary Foundation Paul Harris Fellow – 2008
- John Ben Shepperd Public Leadership Institute, 24th Texas Leadership Forum
- Better Business Bureau (BBB), BBB Gold Star Certificate 2011, 2012, and 2014, BBB Award for Excellence 2013, 2014, and 2015
- Houstonia Top Lawyer, 2014-2015
- Houstonia, Top Professional, 2014
- H Texas Magazine Houston’s Top Lawyers, 2014, 2016
- Superb Rated Attorney, AVVO, 2014
- Client’s Choice, AVVO, 2015
- Rising Star by Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuter Service, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018
- Location:
- Houston, TX
