Silvia Ruiz

Associate

Originally from Bucaramanga, Colombia, Silvia moved to Houston in 2003 and grew up in the West Houston area. She graduated magna cum laude from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Sociology in 2012. Silvia continued her education at Harvard Law School, earning her J.D. in 2017. While at Harvard, she had her first exposures to trial practice through her participation in an intensive trial advocacy course and in the discovery phase of a Torture Victim Protection Act case through the International Human Rights Clinic.

Silvia began her legal career at one of the highest-regarded human rights organizations in Colombia, where she led advocacy projects and strategic litigation efforts before the Constitutional Court of Colombia. Upon her return to Houston, she spent five years representing unaccompanied immigrant youth victims of abuse, trafficking, and persecution before immigration courts, family and juvenile courts, and federal agencies. She later provided legal guidance and training to attorneys nationwide as part of an advisory team within the same organization.

In her transition to personal injury litigation, Silvia has brought her passion for supporting those facing unimaginably difficult circumstances as well as her advocacy skills to defend their interests against powerful institutions. As an Associate at Kherkher Garcia, she is committed to seeking the best results for those who have been hurt by the negligence of others. In working with her clients, Silvia centers compassion, a trauma-informed approach, and cultural competence to help them obtain the compensation and accountability they deserve.

Silvia is admitted to practice in Texas and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Outside of work, Silvia enjoys dancing, reading sci-fi novels, and making her loved ones laugh.

Publications

Book / Research Report

• Silvia Ruiz Mancera et al., Acceso, Promoción y Permanencia de Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes Migrantes en el Sistema Educativo Colombiano: Avances, Retos y Recomendaciones, Dejusticia (2020)

Op-eds — Colombian Newspapers

• Johana Muñoz Pulido & Silvia Ruiz Mancera, El Enfoque de Derechos Humanos: el Gran Pendiente de la Ley Migratoria, El Tiempo (Aug. 24, 2019)
• Lucía Ramírez Bolívar & Silvia Ruiz Mancera, El Derecho a Tener Derechos, el Debate Sobre la Nacionalidad en Colombia, El Espectador (Sept. 1, 2019)
• Silvia Ruiz Mancera, Primero Nosotros, ‘los Colombianos’, El Tiempo (Jan. 15, 2019)

Op-eds — Dejusticia

• Lucía Ramírez Bolívar & Silvia Ruiz Mancera, Refugio y Coherencia, Dejusticia (Feb. 11, 2019)
• Silvia Ruiz, Mi Nombre es Nadie, Dejusticia (Dec. 11, 2018)
• Lucía Ramírez Bolívar & Silvia Ruiz Mancera, Los Bebés Sin Patria que Podría Dejar el Éxodo Venezolano en Colombia, Dejusticia (Oct. 9, 2018)
• Lucía Ramírez Bolívar & Silvia Ruiz Mancera, ¿Candelaria Irá a la Escuela? Barreras de Acceso a la Educación para la Niñez Migrante Venezolana, Dejusticia (Feb. 19, 2018)

Client Reviews

What Our Clients Are Saying About Us

Libby Taylor

Steve, Omar, and Rosie were magnificent! Omar and Rosie were very communicative, empathetic, kind, and respectful! They handled our mother’s wrongful death case with compassion, diligence, and integrity! My brothers and I couldn’t have asked for more efficiency, kindness, and compassion!

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