Support development of this tribute with contributions, photos, or memories!
“I will remember Judge Lew’s easy smile and warm laugh. In addition to being a dedicated public servant and model jurist, Judge Lew was also a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Judge Lew approached everything he did with a commitment to hard work and excellence. Judge Lew leaves behind a lasting legacy.”
– Chief Judge Philip S. Gutierrez, Central District of California
We remember Judge Ronald Lew as a trailblazing judge, fair in his decisions, dignified in manner, and fiercely dedicated to his community. He made history when he was appointed as the first Chinese American federal judge in the continental United States, leading others who shared his background to the same success. His accomplishments are legendary.
Judge Lew’s route to the bench was not without adversity. Prejudice and discrimination colored his life experience, from the ranks of the army to the halls of the courthouse. These experiences drove his future advocacy work on behalf of the Asian American community and in part led him to becoming the esteemed jurist he was.
Lew’s father, Chowlan Lew, immigrated to California at age 14 with little in his pockets, and yet he soon opened his own laundry business. The Chinese Exclusion Act in effect at the time forced Chowlan to return to China to marry, and prevented his bride from returning with him. The family was not reunited in L.A. until the restrictions loosened, at which time Judge Lew’s oldest brother had already been born. Ronald Sing Wai Lew was born in 1941, the third of nine children. The family occupied a two-bedroom apartment in the heart of Los Angeles’ Chinatown immigrant community, and the young Ronald Lew grew up working at the laundry.
Chowlan Lew was a driving force in his son’s career. Determined to ensure that his children would have the opportunities he was not afforded, he made certain his children had the best education possible. Correctly foreseeing that the insular nature of the Chinese community would not last forever, Chowlan envisioned a legal career for Ronald, where he might be able to help others in the Chinese American community adjust to life in mainstream America.
Judge Lew’s devotion to his community rings true to this advice he received from his father: “You will be successful and accomplish great things, but remember your own community, and never forget it. You need to give back.”
Image at left: A young Ronald Lew is seen with parents and siblings.
Image source
“Ronald was the soul of kindness and generosity. He was always warm and welcoming, and he imparted tremendous knowledge to people junior to him,
like me. His passing is a huge loss. I feel lucky to
have known him.”
– Judge Susan Oki Mollway, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
“I seldom saw him when he didn’t have a smile on his lips and I never heard him say a negative word about anybody.”
– Alex Kozinski, former judge of the Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals and the chief judge from 2007-14
As one of the few minority students at Loyola University, Judge Lew graduated with a degree in political science. He then enrolled at Southwestern Law School, taking night classes and working days at the family laundry. It was the late sixties, and the high death toll of the Vietnam War crept at the backs of young men and their families. Lew was drafted midway through law school in 1967, and entered the service with both patriotism and a sense of unease, having to face an opponent that many of his brothers in arms did not have to fight – racial harassment and blatant disrespect within the armed services.
During officer training, Lew was among the top three in his class, his intelligence and leadership shining through. However, while he performed his duties, his fellow soldiers directed racial slurs at and even spat on him, their prejudice against Asians on shameless display. And to add to the insult, the Army called him by the wrong name. While his birth certificate read “Sing Wai Ronald Lew,” he identified himself as Ronald Lew he requested he be allowed to use Lt. Ronald Lew. But as a result of prejudice against Asians, the Army declined to do so.
Lew’s steadfast dedication to his country and community carried him through these difficult experiences. He was anxious to return to his family and law school career, and so he turned down a call from Washington to extend his Army service. Lew’s resolve was firm; he would honor his father’s dream by finishing his studies and working to give back to his community.
After graduation from law school, racial prejudice became apparent again as Lew looked for work. Private firms and other legal employers would not hire minorities, so he returned to work at the laundry. But his father wouldn’t let him give up. Lew recounted that after a few weeks back home, his father said, “You’re fired. Go get a real job. You’re a lawyer.”
Thumbing through the yellow pages, Lew learned that a Southwestern law school classmate was working at the office of the L.A. City Attorney. Lew went to see his old friend, not realizing that he was having an informal job interview. Clearly, his good-natured smile, intelligence, and quick wit made a good impression, as a week later, he was offered a job. He worked as a Deputy City Attorney from 1972 to 1974, making many important connections along the way as he presented cases before Municipal Court Judges like Arman Arabian, Dickran Tevrizian, and Ronald George. Although he had cleared the battle of getting his first job, it was still hard as an Asian American man to garner the respect he deserved. In the courtroom, people often assumed he was a party, a witness, or a clerk – not the lawyer. These experiences motivated his later work helping immigrants and other Asian Americans to advance despite discrimination in the system.
In 1974, Lew left for private practice, and also worked as an advocate for the Asian American legal community. He played a founding role in the formation of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, which served as an inspiration for Japanese, Filipino, and Korean American lawyers to create their own organizations. These organizations provided essential professional networks and legal services to their respective communities. Soon, Mayor Tom Bradley took notice of Lew’s rising star and appointed him to a volunteer post as Commissioner of the L.A. Fire and Police Pension Board.
Around this time, Lew also became involved with the Chinatown Service Center (CSC), volunteering and helping counsel youth on legal matters. He soon became a Board member and was instrumental in making the CSC what it is today, incorporating it into a 501(c)(3) and growing the CSC’s resources through government funding and community fundraising. Lew then served as the first President of the CSC’s Board of Directors. He was motivated not by a desire for power and influence (in fact, he instituted the President’s three-year term limit) but by the desire to create an organization that would continue to truly serve the needy. In this way and many others, Lew was loyal to his father’s ideals and to his community.
“He was a pioneer, friend and mentor who gave tirelessly of his time to help us succeed as individuals and as a community … He gave us the ‘gift that keeps on giving’!”
– Ronald Low, past president of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association
Judgeship wasn’t something Lew aspired to. As he said in a profile by Southwestern Law School, “[b]ecoming a judge was not a goal I could entertain. There weren’t any Chinese American judges, nor for that matter, any judges who were not white men.” Ever humble, Lew didn’t set out to make history, but he wanted to see it done. His colleagues knew he would make an excellent jurist, and when Governor Jerry Brown appointed Lew to the L.A. Municipal Court in 1982, he proved them right. Two years later, Governor George Deukmejianhe elevated Lew to the L.A. County Superior Court, and then a few short years later in 1987, Lew was appointed to the federal bench by President Ronald Reagan, a momentous accomplishment for Lew and the entire Chinese American community.
As a Judge, Lew was known for his no-nonsense, thorough approach – he read everything the litigants filed. Having experienced discrimination throughout his life, he knew that a fair application of the law was of utmost importance, and he upheld the law and the Constitution regardless of his personal beliefs. When asked about “high profile” cases, Lew demurred saying that each case was equally important and deserved equal attention.
Judge Lew was an asset to the Asian American legal community both as an example and even more so as a mentor. Judge Lew was determined not to be the only Chinese American on the federal bench, and so became a mentor to other minority applicants. He worked with the Asian Professional Exchange Mentoring Program to guide young people one-on-one, and was always ready to help young lawyers, including and beyond his law clerks, interns, and externs in any way he could. His mentees recall how his encouragement for them to do good work, maintain their integrity, and to help others has shaped them to this day.
“Judge Lew was an inspiration for many of us who followed in his foosteps but, equally so, because of his generous heart.”
– Judge George H. Wu
“His commitment to his federal family was evident in everything he did and said … While his physical presenece will be missed, his legacy and the impact he has had on the Court and community will continue to shine. Thank you, Judge Lew, for all you have done for me and countless others. We are better for your generous spirit.”
– Kenly Kiya Kato, U.S. Magistrate Judge
“Judge Lew brightened our days with his infectious smile, clever jokes, thoughtful advice, and captivating stories. We are so blessed to have had such a brilliant and wonderful mentor, and we are grateful that Judge Lew invested so much time and care into guiding us.”
– Judge Lew’s law clerks, Katie Rubcich and George MacCabe
Debra Yang, a former law clerk, later became an L.A. Superior Court Judge and was the first Asian-American female U.S. Attorney. She described Judge Lew as “devoted to giving his time, energy, and passion to helping folks throughout his life. I was one of the lucky recipients.” “He would always ask me to do better, to push harder, to do it smarter,” Yang said. “This address towards life has stayed with me until the present. He has been a gift to many, but in particular, to the Asian-American community at large.”
Judge Alvin T. Wong, the first Asian-American judge appointed to the Georgia State Court, remembers Judge Lew’s life-changing support: “He always gives practical advice. He is just a great mentor and friend and certainly was instrumental in my run for a judgeship in Georgia.”
Central District of California Judge Dolly Gee, the first Chinese American female federal judge, met Judge Lew when she was young, and remembers him with admiration. “Judge Lew was a pillar in the Los Angeles legal community, and especially in the Chinese American community. He had a prodigious work ethic and a sly sense of humor. He was a mentor to so many, including me, and will be dearly missed.”
In sum, Judge Lew was a cornerstone of the Asian American legal community, and will be sorely missed. His contagious smile has touched innumerable lives, and his legacy continues on in his mentees, in his family, and in his historic accomplishments. The challenges of racial discrimination and economic challenges he faced growing up in an immigrant community, while unjust and hurtful, forged his commitment to fairness and to giving back. Always a person of golden character staunchly dedicated to his community, Judge Lew lived a life true to his ideals and has surely made us proud to have known him.
Those who visited the Judge’s chambers were greeted with walls covered in accolades, photos of him with elected officials and celebrities, and mementos from his travels. A proud U.S. citizen, he also kept a collection of American eagles – carved, stuffed, painted, wooden, and golden.
“He brought equanimity to even the most difficult situation. People were genuinely happy to see him and, no matter your mood, you were always uplifted when you left him. We need people of good cheer.”
– Terree Bowers, former U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California.
For all of these reasons we will remember Judge Lew not only for his distinguished career, but also for his kindness, exemplary character, and uplifting smile. In the words of his colleague from the Los Angeles Municipal Court, Judge Isabel Cohen, Judge Lew was “a dignified eminence, loved by all.” We remember his dedication to his family and his humble service to others, particularly the Asian-American legal community and immigrant populations. The generation of Asian-American lawyers and judges that followed his illustrious example treasure not only his mentorship, but his sly humor, warmth, and graciousness. Judge Lew touched all who met him, and worked tirelessly to “Do good,” and let us all follow his guiding light as an example.