Amy Ruff opens new law office in Rainy River

Ken Johnston
Editor

Overwhelmed. That was the best way to describe Amy Ruff Friday afternoon when her new law office in Rainy River opened and people came in to wish her well.
The flowers started coming early in the day and Ruff, who never thought she would ever end up back in Rainy River practising law, was glad she made the move back home. Guests included staff from the courthouse in Fort Frances and Justice of the Peace Pat Clysdale-Cornell as well as many Rainy River area citizens.
Amy grew up in Rainy River where her dad, Emery, currently has the RR Law practise. She set her sights on a career as a lawyer early on after graduating from Rainy River High School in 1991.
She attended the University of Manitoba for seven years where she earned an Honours degree in Arts. She followed that up with three years of law school; also at U. of M.
She then took some time away from the books and law to plant trees in British Columbia. Not long after that she began articling for a civil litigation firm in Vancouver for a year. That is like apprenticing for a year. Then she had to take a series of exams which she passed. She became a member of the B.C. Bar on January 31, 2002 and was called to the bar on March 15, 2002.
She was hired by that civil litigation firm which she discovered was not where she wanted to be. That and the fast-paced life of the city convinced her that, “I liked a slightly slower pace of life.”
She took the summer off to figure out where she wanted to be. “I hadn’t thought of coming (back) to Rainy River.” Then in November she began looking at the possibility and, “It just really sort of happened,” said Ruff.
She had to write a series of six exams to practise law in Ontario and passed them this spring.
After her experience in B.C. she felt that she really wanted to run her own business and the Rainy River district offered her that opportunity. Now she is running a general law practise out of the same building as her father, at 308 Fourth St., Rainy River, under the name, Amy Lee Ruff, Barrister, Solicitor, Notary.
She said that she has been very busy since starting to work in the area and really likes it. She has also purchased a house in Rainy River and is extremely pleased with her decision to move home. “I have always been small town girl,” concluded Ruff.