Joseph A. Ruta has been an attorney in New York City for 30 years. He began a solo practice of law in Manhattan in 1994, after being out of law school for only two years.
Joseph grew the practice by a second partner in 2001 (when the firm became Ruta & Soulios) and then adding a third partner in 2011 (when the firm became Ruta, Soulios & Stratis). The practice consists of various civil litigation, corporate, employment, real estate, bankruptcy and non-profit matters. Joseph is currently outside general counsel to over 30 companies including public and national not-for-profit organizations. He has also successfully litigated religious freedom, religious discrimination and right of conscience matters in state and federal courts.
Ruta was the president of the New York Metro Chapter of Christian Legal Society from 2002 to 2013 and was a member of the board of directors on a national level for Christian Legal Society from 2008 to 2017. Joseph also served on the board of directors of Zarephath Christian Church from 2011 to 2017, ending his tenure as vice chair.
Joseph graduated valedictorian of Marist College in 1989 after having attended Oxford University during his junior year abroad and winning Marist’s first debate championship in the college’s history as a sophomore. He then attended Brooklyn Law School as a Richardson Scholar obtaining a Juris Doctor degree in 1992. While in law school, he had the privilege of clerking for the Honorable Harold Baer, Jr.
He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife of 25 years and they have three children.