RJO’s Ruby Zapien Honored With 2024 Walgreens Law Firm Diversity Champion ‘Rising Star’ Award
RJO associate Ruby Zapien has been named a Law Firm Diversity Champion and “Rising Star” by Walgreens for her outstanding commitment to improving diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the legal profession. Walgreens presented Zapien with the award on June 20 as part of its 2024 Legal DE&I Recognition Program, which highlights key DEI initiatives and the attorneys driving them.
Zapien has been instrumental in developing and implementing initiatives that support a more inclusive workplace at RJO, ensuring that everyone — regardless of their background — feels valued and empowered with the tools they need to succeed. As a first-generation Mexican American attorney, she is acutely aware of the barriers affecting Latinx, Black, Indigenous and those with diverse backgrounds pursuing a career in law, and has used her experiences as a platform to educate others and explore solutions.
Over the past several years, Zapien has volunteered her time to helping others advance their careers and has encouraged firmwide participation in multiple DEI-focused events and initiatives. Her many contributions include serving in leadership roles for programs designed to foster DEI in the legal profession, providing one-on-one mentorship to high school, undergraduate and law students, and working with the San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association to create programming for the Latinx legal community.
The awards ceremony was held at the Walgreens Old Post Office campus in downtown Chicago, Illinois.
Zapien is a member of RJO’s Complex Commercial Litigation, Construction, Government Contracts, Labor and Employment, and Retail Industry Trade Regulation practice groups. She represents individual and corporate clients in both litigation and transactional matters.