Dr. Elena Ruiz, PhD, CRC
Vocational rehabilitation, earning-capacity, and life care planning for trial counsel.
Areas of practice
Vocational rehabilitation
Evaluation of post-injury work capacity, transferable skills, and labor-market alternatives — calibrated to the jurisdiction's evidentiary standards.
Life care planning
Long-horizon care-needs forecasts grounded in the medical record, peer-reviewed methodology, and current Medicare/private-pay cost data.
Earning-capacity analysis
Pre- and post-incident earnings trajectories with explicit assumptions, sensitivity tables, and present-value framing.
Employability analysis
Reasoned opinions on alternative employment availability — drawing on Department of Labor data and direct labor-market contacts.
Education, honors & service.
- Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) — CRCC (2008)
- Certified Life Care Planner (CLCP) — ICHCC (2011)
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) — State of California (2007)
Sectors of experience.
Education
- PhD, Rehabilitation Counselor EducationMichigan State University · 2007
- MS, Rehabilitation CounselingSan Diego State University · 2001
- BA, PsychologyUC Santa Barbara · 1999
Selected publications
Selected matters
From retaining counsel.
Attributions are generalized; specific matter details withheld under engagement terms.
Calibrated, calm, and unflappable under cross. Her reports do the explaining the jury needs.
Methodology that survived Daubert without amendments. Materially shaped settlement value.
Exceptional at translating defensible vocational economics for a generalist judge.
Her cross-examination preparation alone was worth the engagement.
Frequently asked questions
- In what types of cases does Dr. Ruiz provide expert testimony?
- Vocational rehabilitation and earning-capacity matters, including catastrophic injury, wrongful termination, and disability accommodation disputes, for both plaintiff and defense at deposition and trial.
- What credentials qualify Dr. Ruiz as a vocational expert?
- A doctorate in rehabilitation counselor education, certification as a Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and Life Care Planner (CLCP), and two decades of retained case work across California, Nevada, and Arizona.
- How quickly can a preliminary opinion be delivered?
- A preliminary opinion typically follows within two weeks of receiving the complete record. Expedited review is available where trial dates require it.
- Does Dr. Ruiz accept both plaintiff and defense retentions?
- Yes. The practice is deliberately balanced between plaintiff and defense work, and conflict checks typically clear within 48 hours.
Retain Dr. Ruiz
Conflict checks typically clear within 48 hours.