Three years later, Rukavishnikova also defended a doctoral degree at Rostov State University.

From 1997 to 2005, she was the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Law of the Rostov State Economic University.

In 2006 she was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Law of the Rostov State Economic University.

From 2013 to 2018, Rukavishnikova was the deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Rostov Oblast of the 5th and 6th convocations.

On 15 September 2018, she became a senator after deputies from the Legislative Assembly of Rostov Oblast nominated her.