Anique Ruiz

As a proud two-time Panther alumna, Anique serves as the STEM-Inspire Program Manager at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). The program provides faculty mentoring, peer support and research opportunities for undergraduate students majoring in STEM fields. During her tenure with the program, Anique was appointed to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Driving Change Institutional Self-Study Team, whose goal is to drive institutional change in STEM fields. Prior to her position with the STEM-Inspire Program, Anique served as a Program & Policy Analyst co-chairing both the 2013 & 2014 Milwaukee Partners in Giving Campaigns, as well as an assistant in the Office of Equal Opportunity & Civil Rights.  

In addition to her formal roles, Anique now serves as chair of the Governance Committee of the African Diaspora Council, alongside her membership in the Latinx Faculty & Staff Association, CCHSI working group, and the Systemwide Caregiving Task Force Student Caregiver Subcommittee. She also serves as co-advisor to the IMPACT Movement Student group at UWM. Prior to these roles, Anique served as chair of the UWM Multicultural Network in 2020-21. 

In addition to her roles at UWM, Anique teaches a graduate-level seminar course entitled, “Legal Issues in Public Service” at Marquette University. In that capacity, she teaches students how to lead nonprofit organizations by understanding good governance, legal principles of service, and the importance of mission-oriented leadership. Moreover, Anique is the founder of The Journey For Women, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its vision is to empower women in need with resources and strategies to address their spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional needs. Furthermore, Anique served a three-year term as a member of the Milwaukee Area Technical College Institutional Review Board. 

Early on in her career, Anique successfully advocated on behalf of students as a legislative intern at the United States Student Association and the Council on Educational Opportunity in Washington, D.C. In that role, she lobbied on Capitol Hill for access to education, created a voter registration guide for college students, and was featured in Former President William Clinton’s radio address on Social Security. Anique also served as an intern in the Milwaukee office of Former U.S. Senator Russell D. Feingold. 

Anique went on to become an attorney with experience in both civil and criminal litigation. As a litigation attorney with Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan, LLP, Anique represented Fortune 500 clients, including Wal-Mart, Rockwell Automation, JPMorgan Chase, and AT&T. She also represented clients under the Student Practice Rule at the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office-Milwaukee Trial Division and gained experience as a two-time summer associate at Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. in Milwaukee. 

In 2012, Anique was elected as District Two Representative on the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Board of Governors. In that role, she represented over 4,000 attorneys and advised the Board as a member of the Policy Committee. She also served on the boards of Legal Action of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Association of African American Lawyers, and the Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers Association. Her previous memberships also include the Association of Women Lawyers, the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, and the Hispanic National Bar Association. 

Anique is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., where she was inducted as a member of the Kappa Eta Chapter in Milwaukee, WI, and later served as Corresponding Secretary, Chair of the International Awareness & Involvement Committee, and Chaplain of the Milwaukee Alumnae Chapter. For her service to UWM, the legal profession, and the community at large, Anique was named a 2023 Woman of Influence by the Milwaukee Business Journal and one of Wisconsin’s 46 Most Influential Latino Leaders in 2022 by Madison 365. She was also named a Rising Star by CCN Magazine at the 2012 Midwest Urban Empowerment Awards, and interviews of Anique have been featured on both the Wisconsin Law Journal and the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network websites.  

Anique earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs and Political Science from Marquette University, and a Master of Arts in Political Science at UWM shortly thereafter. Upon graduating with her master’s degree, Anique earned a Juris Doctor degree from Marquette University Law School, where she co-founded Briefs & Diapers, a support group for student parents and served as a board member of the Moot Court Association, Vice President of the Black Law Students Association, and a member of the Judicial Committee. Later, in 2013, Anique earned a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management at the Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management at UWM. 

Anique has been admitted to practice law in the State of Wisconsin and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin. She is proficient in Spanish.