For Manuel Surillo, becoming a lawyer was never part of the plan. Growing up in Mayagüez, a small coastal town on the west side of Puerto Rico, he had no intention of following in his parents’ footsteps. They were both lawyers and ran a family firm.
Instead, Surillo gravitated toward numbers.
“I was really good at math in high school,” he said. “I didn’t have to study much. It came easily to me. So I thought I’d be an engineer.”
Surillo enrolled at University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez to study civil engineering. But soon, something shifted. He participated in an exchange program in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and there he fell in love with philosophy, sociology and political science — subjects that challenged his thinking in ways math never had.
He returned to Puerto Rico with a new sense of direction, changing his undergraduate major to political science and social sciences. That academic pivot eventually led him to pursue a J.D. at University of Puerto Rico School of Law in San Juan, where he graduated in 2016.
Still, the road to a legal career wasn’t straightforward.
“I never thought I would be a lawyer,” Surillo said. “It was ironic. I had to write an essay to convince my parents that I wasn’t just switching majors for fun, especially after I’d always told them I would never be a lawyer.”
Finding his own way
After earning his law degree, Surillo joined his parents’ firm, Surillo Pumarada & Dahdah Ramirez, in 2016. He spent four years there working on real estate transactions, civil litigation, torts and contract cases. The work was solid and meaningful, but his interests were continuing to shift.
Surillo’s family is steeped in health care. His older sister is a neurologist, his younger brother is a hospital administrator, and many of his friends are physicians. Health care issues came up constantly in his personal life, and he began thinking about how law intersects with medicine.
“Most of my conversations with my family and friends are about the health care system, from my perspective as a lawyer,” he said. “That’s when I realized that I could make a real impact in that space.”
He began attending health care conferences in Puerto Rico, meeting professionals working in hospital administration and learning about the regulatory and compliance needs of care providers.
Even though Mayagüez is a relatively small town with a population of less than 100,000, it has more than eight hospitals and numerous care centers. Surillo saw a need for legal expertise tailored to that environment.
“I thought the Health Law LL.M. would broaden my clientele,” he said. “I wanted to be able to offer legal services to my friends and to the broader network of hospitals and providers in the area.”
Choosing a law school
When it came time to pursue a Health Law LL.M., Loyola University Chicago School of Law
was his clear choice. Surillo discovered that many health law specialists in Puerto Rico held LL.M. degrees from Loyola Chicago. He also was drawn to the school’s Jesuit values and the flexibility of its online program.
Surillo enrolled in 2022 while continuing to work full time as an attorney and raise a young family. The experience exceeded his expectations.
“My professors have been incredible — top professionals in their field,” he said. “They’re very open to molding the coursework to your schedule. They understand that if you’re an online student, you have other responsibilities. The amount of guidance and mentorship has been amazing.”
Though he officially graduated this spring, Surillo is completing his thesis over the summer. His research focuses on a timely and complex issue: the effect of artificial intelligence on risk management in hospital organizations.
“My thesis analyzes the liabilities and litigation strategies surrounding artificial intelligence in health care,” he said. “I’m developing a legal framework to address the risks AI poses to hospital compliance and enterprise risk management programs, particularly because of AI’s ‘hive mind’ capabilities.”
Risk, compliance and AI
As Surillo considers the next steps in his career, he’s keeping his options open, but he said he is particularly drawn to working within a hospital system as a chief compliance or risk officer.
“The health law curriculum at Loyola Chicago is very compliance-based, and that’s where I want to be,” he said. “I’m interested in going in-house and helping hospitals navigate regulatory frameworks, manage risk and stay ahead of new threats, especially those involving AI.”
At the same time, Surillo understands that careers rarely follow a linear path. If there’s one theme that has defined his journey so far, it’s adaptability.
“My life has never gone the way I thought it would,” he said. “It always changes abruptly for some reason. So I try to keep my mind open about the future.”
For now, he’s working as an independent contractor for DBPR Legal (Doing Business Puerto Rico), a San Juan-based law firm that specializes in government contracts and consulting services. He continues to maintain a small roster of private clients while exploring future opportunities in health care law and compliance.
Advice for others
Surillo knows that going back to school can feel daunting, especially for attorneys who are well into their careers. But he encourages others to take the leap if they’re thinking about expanding their practice areas.
“Being there myself, I understand the hesitation,” he said. “I had eight years of experience before I went back for the LL.M. But it’s been an incredible experience. The amount of information, mentorship and support — it’s all been worth it.”
He said he is especially grateful for the program’s flexibility, which has allowed him to balance work, study and family life.
“I’m a full-time attorney. I have other businesses. I’m a full-time father,” he said. “Even though I haven’t had to ask for extensions or special considerations, I know they’re available. That’s really reassuring.”
Moving forward
Though Surillo never expected to become a lawyer — let alone a specialist in health law — he’s found purpose in the legal profession by connecting it with people and issues that matter to him. His path has included unexpected turns, but each one has brought him closer to where he wants to be.
“Sometimes you don’t know what you want to do when you’re young,” he said. “And that’s OK. Every experience shapes you, and it all leads somewhere. For me, it led to law, and now to health law.”
As he completes his thesis and begins the next chapter of his professional life, Surillo is optimistic.
“Loyola Chicago’s LL.M. has opened so many doors,” he said. “It’s even made me think seriously about working in the mainland U.S. — something I hadn’t really considered before. The connections I’ve made and the support I’ve received make me feel confident about what’s ahead. I’m excited to see where it leads.”
This article was in the 2025 digital issue of International Jurist.
