Ray Thomas, Jr., a Law School Admissions Consultant at Juris Education

Ray holds a JD from Cleveland State University College of Law, an LLM in law and government from American University, and a BS in criminal justice from SUNY Buffalo State University. Ray has more than 15 years of mentorship experience, including serving on the admissions team at Howard University School of Law, where he founded a USPTO-certified Trademark Clinic, and has coached more than 250 students across a wide range of legal paths and backgrounds.

Ray is licensed to practice law in Texas, Maryland, Illinois, and the District of Columbia and is certified in five International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) designations and certifications. He also earned an executive education certificate from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, and has held prestigious advisory roles, including with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the USPTO. He has over 20 years of experience spanning government, corporate, academia, and private practice.

Most recently, Ray served as Vice President, Chief Privacy Officer, Associate General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at Strada Education Foundation, Inc. Previously, Ray served as Director and Senior Counsel at Walmart Inc., where he advised on data privacy & emerging technologies, including AI and biometrics. He also had various roles & responsibilities at IBM Corporation, including general lawyer, Chief Procurement Privacy Officer, and Head of Legal Academia for the Global University Programs. He also completed a two-year assignment at the Watson IoT Global Headquarters in Munich, Germany. Ray has also served as an assistant adjunct professor and supervising attorney at the Howard University School of Law. In addition to his work in founding the Trademark Clinic, he also lectured on international trademark law during the summer program at the University of Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa. While on international assignment in Europe, he served as an adjunct professor for information privacy law for George Washington University Law School’s summer program at the Munich Intellectual Property Law Center.

Ray also served on various advisory boards and committees. Currently, he is a member of the Technology Law & Policy Center at North Carolina Central University School of Law, as well as the Center for Cybersecurity & Privacy Protection at Cleveland State University College of Law. Ray is also an IAPP, ABA & Texas Board Certified Privacy Law Specialist (PLS).

As a counselor, Ray brings unmatched depth in law and education, supporting students with admissions strategy, essay review, and interview preparation. He has evaluated and interviewed approximately 200 applicants in a decision-making role at the Howard University School of Law and has guided students through the admissions process into schools across the country. Ray is passionate about helping future legal professionals thrive and enjoys leveraging his broad legal insight and educational expertise to empower students. He remains actively engaged in the field through thought leadership, coaching, and service to legal education.