Profile

Jazmine Ruiz Johnston is an Assistant Professor of Law in the Legal Analysis and Communication Program. Ruiz Johnston teaches students the foundational skills of legal writing, analysis, and communication. She is fluent in Spanish and the first lawyer in her family.

Her scholarship focuses on appellate and constitutional law, access to the appellate justice system, and equity. Her current work surveys states with constitutional rights to appeal and proposes methods for expanding access to appellate review, particularly for individuals who cannot afford representation.

Ruiz Johnston entered academia following a decade in practice. Prior to the classroom, she was an appellate attorney in New Mexico representing clients in the New Mexico Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, in federal courts, and before administrative bodies. Her practice included a wide range of complex civil appeals, highlighted by high-profile matters involving the Clean Air Act and the Advanced Clean Cars II regulatory framework, land grant disputes tracing back to the 1800s, and First Amendment litigation involving a pedestrian safety ordinance. Throughout her time in private practice, Ruiz Johnston was recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Appellate Practice and Super Lawyers: Southwest Rising Stars in Appellate Practice. She is admitted to practice in New Mexico state courts, the United States District Court of the District of New Mexico, and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. She has also served as a court-appointed arbitrator for civil litigation matters in the Second Judicial District.

Ruiz Johnston began her legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable Justice Edward L. Chavez (81’) (ret.) at the New Mexico Supreme Court. Thereafter, she practiced civil litigation at a prominent Santa Fe law firm before pursuing her passion for appellate advocacy.

Ruiz Johnston remains involved in state legal organizations. The New Mexico Supreme Court recently appointed Ruiz Johnston to the Appellate Rules Committee, which is responsible for drafting the State’s appellate procedural rules. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Appellate Practice Section of the State Bar. With dedication to mentorship, Ruiz Johnston has served in multiple volunteer and leadership roles, including in the New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association and as a mock trial coach for the Albuquerque High School Mock Trial Team.

As a law student at UNM School of Law, Ruiz Johnston served as the President of the Mexican-American Law Student Association (now Latiné American Law Student Association) and Professional Articles Editor for the New Mexico Law Review. Returning to her alma mater, Ruiz Johnston brings her private practice experience and is honored to support and guide the next generation of lawyers.