Santa Clara University

Honored to work for Congress

Ricky Le ’04 is executive director of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation

By Asa Pittman

Four years ago, Ricky Le studied the law. Today, the Santa Clara Law grad helps members of Congress make the laws that govern the nation as the executive director of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation (CDCD).

Working for Congress is an honor, says Le, who attributes his long held respect for the U.S. government to his Vietnamese parents. Like many South Vietnamese who resisted communism during the Vietnam War, Le’s parents admired America’s democratic system, and aspired to become part of it. Says Le, "It’s a cliché, but to my parents America really did represent the beacon of freedom and the land of opportunity. This is where they wanted their kids to grow up."

In 1980, Le’s father, who had few U.S. ties and did not speak English, was the first of the Le family to flee to the United States. A year later, four-year-old Le and his uncle followed. "We snuck out in a little boat in the middle of the night," Le recalled. Le’s mother, younger broth er, and sister reunited with the rest of the family in 1985. In time, another brother was born and the clan settled in California.

Growing up in San Jose, Le discovered that politics was a sliver of common ground between him self, a typical California teen, and his father, a former medic for the South Vietnamese army. "My dad never finished high school because he joined the army, but he was a prolific reader and very politically engaged," says Le. "Discussing politics and current events was one of the ways that I could relate to my dad over the dinner table."

Ricky Le '04 describes his position as being "one of the best jobs on the Hill."

Zoe Lofgren ’75, the Congresswoman for California’s 16th District, showed Le that his favorite topic of dinner conversation could be a career. As a senior at the University of California Santa Cruz, he landed an internship in Washington, D.C. for Lofgren, who was a member of the Judiciary Committee overseeing the 1998 Clinton impeachment hear ings. As an intern, Le engaged in typical intern responsibilities, including opening and distributing the office mail. "It was an exciting time to be in D.C. and was one of the most useful experiences of my career," he says.

"I learned the legislative process by reading constituent letters and working with senior staff to respond to their concerns."

After Le graduated, Lofgren offered him a position as scheduler and staff assistant for her San Jose district office. "I had just graduated college and was not sure about what I wanted to do. Then Zoe called, and I said ‘Yes!’" he says.

While managing Rep. Lofgren’s many commitments, Le developed a friendship with the Congresswoman, who flew from Washington, D.C. to San Jose weekly to meet with her constituents. "She’s a great mentor—politically astute and easily one of the smarter members of Congress," says Le.

Rep. Lofgren, who graduated from Santa Clara Law in 1975 and is a former law professor, encouraged Le to attend law school and introduced him to one of the first Vietnamese-American judges in the country—Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Thang Nguyen Barrett. Le says, "When I met Judge Barrett, he said, ‘The Congresswoman wants you to go to law school, and I’m going to make sure that you do.’"

Le enrolled at Santa Clara Law in 2001. "Those were the best three years of my life," says Le. The school’s social justice lunch series made the first year of law school "tangible," he says. "I never forgot that the law was about helping people." A close-knit section made the experience special. "When my dad got sick during my second semester, I missed quite a few days of class. Without my asking, a couple of my classmates e-mailed me their lecture notes."

Rep. Lofgren and Judge Barrett continued to men tor Le during law school. On graduation day in 2004, the Congresswoman was sitting on stage and was the first to con gratulate him after he received his diploma.

After graduation, Le worked in New Mexico as a field organizer in the 2004 presidential campaign. In 2005, he returned to Lofgren’s office as a Congressional assistant. "It was great coming back to Rep. Lofgren’s San Jose office because it allowed me to work in the community that I grew up in," says Le of the position, which required him to meet with local community leaders and assist constituents in deal ing with federal agencies.

Le relocated from San Jose to Washington, D.C. in May 2006, when he became executive director of the CDCD. In his role, Le assists Rep. Lofgren, the CDCD chair, in advising the delegation’s thirty-four Democratic members on legisla tive issues that affect the state. He works closely with the offices of House Speaker Pelosi, Governor Schwarzenegger, and state legislative leaders in Sacramento. "I assist our del egation members as they work to ensure that California’s best interests are being protected."

Le described his position as being "one of the best jobs on the Hill." It is the realization of not only his aspirations but also those of his mother and deceased father. "My parents risked their lives to come here because they wanted our fam ily to live in a democratic society. I feel like what I do now completes their American Dream."