Ryan Liu

Ryan represents clients in high-stakes investigations and litigation. He uses his extensive experience working at the intersection of law and policy to advise clients across industries with their legal needs.

Ryan clerked for Judge Jacqueline Nguyen of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and worked for various public interest legal organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) Disability Rights Program and Yale Law School’s Veterans Legal Services Clinic. Ryan cares deeply about Cooley’s pro bono mission to serve communities because of his background as a first-generation college graduate and the son of refugees and immigrants. His extensive pro bono work helped earn Cooley the Advocates for Justice Award from the ACLU Foundation of Southern California.

In addition to his legal work, Ryan is an active member of his community and has created ladders of socioeconomic opportunity for residents. He serves on the elected governing board of Pasadena City College (PCC), which educates 27,000+ students. As PCC Board vice president, Ryan supported the college’s relief efforts following the Eaton fire in January 2025 and helped create innovative academic and career-placement opportunities. Ryan led efforts to establish a new state-of-the-art PCC satellite campus in Rosemead. He also serves on the Temple City Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors to support the small business community in the San Gabriel Valley. Ryan’s community work was recognized by Forbes when he was named on its 30 Under 30 list in 2025.

Ryan’s writings have been featured in publications such as Law360, the American Bar Association, the New York Times, Forbes and NBC News. Ryan has served as an invited guest speaker and panelist at numerous institutions, including Harvard University and Stanford University. 

Ryan graduated from PCC as valedictorian and from Yale College with honors and distinction. He earned a Master of Science degree in higher education with honors from the University of Oxford and his JD from Yale Law School, where he chaired the student government and served on the executive board of the Yale Law Journal.