Ashley Riveira once paced the tree-shaded sidewalks of the Pacific Union College campus. Now she strolls the halls and offices of a law firm in Washington, D.C., practicing international law, and labor and employment law, in one of the country’s most exciting legal climates.

Her story became even more remarkable in May when Riveira, along with nine more of America’s most promising young professional women, won Running Start’s “Women to Watch” award. The award is given to young women who use their positions of leadership to aid the cause of women’s rights. Riveira was recognized for Presumed Equal: What America's Top Women Lawyers Really Think About Their Firms, the book that she co-wrote with a classmate from Harvard Law School.

The experience leading to national recognition for Riveira included some time in the Napa Valley after graduating from PUC in 2001, working with Representative Mike Thompson of California’s 1st Congressional District—a role that helped prepare her for a career in law. When she was accepted to Harvard, the transition from a small liberal arts college to one of America’s most prestigious and competitive law schools was surprisingly smooth. “I felt well prepared for Harvard,” she remembers. “I knew how to study, how to hold my own in my classes and in campus life.”

Richard Voth, Ph.D., one of Riveira’s PUC business professors, is not surprised at her success. “We’re proud of Ashley,” says Voth. “She’s a great example of the continued success that we have seen with students from our business department.”

In her third year at Harvard, Riveira came across the original Presumed Equal study, published in 1995. The book was an investigation of what it was like to be a woman at America’s top law firms. She recognized that the book was a great source of information for recruits, but it needed updating.

Along with fellow Harvard Law student Lindsay Blohm, Riveira set out to write a new edition, collecting surveys from nearly 4,000 female attorneys who worked at 105 of the nation’s most prestigious law firms. Their version of Presumed Equal was published in 2006.

The “Women to Watch” award is presented by Running Start, a non-profit organization that educates young women about politics and encourages them to become political leaders. Susannah Shakow, president of Running Start, says, “Ashley was chosen because we felt her work was groundbreaking. Her book is key to understanding why there is so much attrition of women in law firms, and why so few make partner.”

Running Start recognizes young women in part to encourage them to run for political office. Though she isn’t ruling out political involvement, Riveira has no current plans for it, saying, “I’m always looking for the next interesting professional project, but I’m in my second year out of law school, and I’m just trying to hone my skills as an attorney. I love what I do.”