[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 105 (Thursday, June 15, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E569]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING JUDGE RONALD S.W. LEW

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JUDY CHU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 15, 2023

  Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of the Honorable 
Ronald S.W. Lew, who passed away on May 19, 2023, at the age of 81. 
Judge Lew's esteemed jurisprudence and relentless advocacy made him a 
widely respected judge and community leader.
  Judge Ronald Lew was born in Los Angeles, California in 1941. He 
attended Loyola High School and went on to obtain his bachelor's degree 
in 1964 from Loyola Marymount University. He then enrolled in 
Southwestern Law School, but those studies were put on a temporary hold 
when he served in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1969. Upon returning home, 
Judge Lew completed his studies in 1971 and went on to serve as deputy 
city attorney for the Los Angeles City Attorney's office in the 
Criminal and Civil Liability Divisions from 1972 to 1974. After 
practicing with the city attorney's office, Judge Lew practiced 
privately and, during that time, was appointed to commissioner of the 
Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension Board from 1976 to 1982.
  As a widely respected jurist, Judge Lew was appointed by Governor 
Jerry Brown to the Los Angeles Municipal Court in 1982, and two years 
later was appointed to the Los Angeles County Superior Court by 
Governor George Deukmejian. Then, in 1987, Judge Lew was honored with a 
nomination from President Ronald Reagan to serve as United States 
District Judge for the Central District of California, making history 
by becoming the first Chinese American person appointed to a federal 
bench position outside of the state of Hawaii. After serving for nearly 
two decades, Judge Lew took senior status in 2006 but remained a 
committed and prominent jurist.
  Judge Lew was also a dedicated advocate in the Chinese American 
community. He was instrumental in the creation and success of the 
Chinatown Service Center, a renowned nonprofit organization located in 
Los Angeles that provides health care, social services, economic 
development, youth, and many more resources to tens of thousands of 
deserving clients each year. After working with the Center to provide 
counsel on youth criminal issues in 1974, he became a board member of 
the Center, spearheaded the organization's incorporation into a 
501(c)(3), drafted its bylaws and even became its first President of 
the Board of Directors. When Judge Lew began his work with this 
organization, it only had two staff members and no budget for 
employees. Judge Lew took action, organizing fundraisers and spreading 
the word which enabled the Center to obtain the staff and finances it 
needed to continue its essential services. But his work was nowhere 
near done. Judge Lew continued his incredible service to the Chinatown 
Service Center by securing crucial city funding and establishing a 
close partnership with the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, 
which later helped the Center receive its first city workforce grant. 
Since its founding, the Chinatown Service Center has had an 
immeasurable impact in providing essential services to the surrounding 
community, thanks in large part to the tireless work of Judge Lew.
  Outside of his remarkable work with the Chinatown Service Center, 
Judge Lew helped found the Southern California Chinese Lawyers 
Association in 1975, the first Asian Pacific American bar association 
nationwide which offers support and resources to law students, lawyers, 
and jurists in the Chinese American and Asian Americans and Pacific 
Islanders communities. For his incredible work in law and in the 
Chinese American community, Judge Lew was named one of the Chinese 
Historical Society of Southern California's Chinese American Pioneers 
in Law and also received the Los Angeles Chinese American Museum's 
Historymakers Award.
  Judge Lew was a trailblazer whose accomplishments strengthened the 
Chinese American community and uplifted all Angelenos. He was always 
considered a mentor and trusted advisor to those who knew him. His 
impact is indelible and will never be forgotten. Judge Lew was also a 
loving husband, father, grandfather, and inspiration to us all. I ask 
my colleagues to join me in commemorating the life of this 
extraordinary individual.

                          ____________________