Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Rucker.
Hi Ryan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born in the city of Atlanta and raised in Southwest Atlanta. I attended Benjamin E. Mays HS and graduated from Riverwood HS, before enrolling in Clark Atlanta University on a full academic scholarship. Upon graduating from Clark Atlanta University, I began a record label where we produced hip hop, R&B, and reggae music. My mother’s dream was for me to become a lawyer, she says she always knew that I would make a great attorney. At her urging, I took the LSAT and after obtaining a decent score, she convinced me to enroll in law school.
I graduated from Georgia State University College of Law in 2012 and I immediately begin working as a prosecutor in Fulton County, where I gained significant trial experience while obtaining one of the highest trial success rates. I left criminal practice and started with civil litigation in 2015. My first personal injury trial ended with the trial Judge awarding $10,800.000.00. Since that trial, I have represented thousands of injured Georgians and obtained several prominent verdicts. I’ve been named 2021 Top 100 Civil Trial Attorneys by the National Trial Lawyers, 2022 Georgia Rising Stars by Super Lawyers, and I was also named as a 2022 Elite Lawyer. In 2021, I became a Partner at The Dressie Law Firm.
In 2022, I began a non-profit organization called Your Sons, Our Brothers, with the intention of exposing at-risk youth and those from underserved communities with the wide variety of careers that you can have with a legal degree. I also want to expose them to a lifestyle that they can obtain and introduce them to people who look like them who have obtained great success. Our goal is to expose Your Sons and Our brothers to professional and successful men that come from similar walks of life.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Growing up, I didn’t know much about the law. My aunt was a lawyer but we didn’t discuss her profession. My first year of law school was challenging as you can imagine, going from being a record label owner and rapper to a law student. And in law school you don’t have a test after every chapter to gauge how you’re doing, there’s only one exam at the end of the semester and that’s your grade. After my first year of law school, I wasn’t very pleased with all of my grades; but I then understood what it took to succeed and by my final year, I was mastering my courses. I excelled at litigation immediately, surprisingly I believe my musical background and experiences performing in front of crowds helped fuel my confidence in the courtroom. I’m a very laid-back person on the daily basis; however, when I walk in the courtroom I feel like it’s showtime.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Dressie Law Firm & Your Sons, Our Brothers?
As a Partner at The Dressie Law Firm, I help injured Georgians, whether they have been injured as the result of a motor vehicle collision, slip and fall accident, or even if they’ve suffered physical illness as a result of harmful mold exposure. We are a boutique firm with five lawyers and we pride ourselves on giving personal attention to each and every one of our clients and providing an extremely high standard of legal work.
As far as with my non-profit, Your Sons, Our Brothers, we recently had an event with the Andrew & Walter Young Family YMCA giving out turkeys and Thanksgiving food to the community; we chose a family and donated toys and clothing to them at Christmas. We are also creating a program and curriculum to help transition young men from all walks of life into successful professionals. We will teach them how to dress for the part, speak articulately, exude confidence, and expose them to multiple career paths that they may not be exposed to otherwise. They will meet and have lunch and learn sessions with Attorneys, Judges, Doctors, Bankers, Entertainers, Investors, and multitude of other successful professionals. Eventually, we will provide internships and scholarships.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Most people don’t know about my successes as an attorney. I’ll obtain a substantial verdict at trial and immediately move on to the next case without ever acknowledging the wins. I’m not really into social media so I don’t share a lot about myself. I had one picture on my instagram for 10 years. Also a lot of people who know me as a lawyer are unaware that I was previously a hip-hop artist. At one point in time, I thought I was going to become the next big Atlanta artist before I became a lawyer.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Ruckerlaw
- Website: DressieLaw.com
- Office phone number: 770.756.6333
- Personal phone number: 404.539.6369
