Posted February 13th, 2013 in Top Stories

Donald Lewis Named One of the Most Influential Black Attorneys in the Country

For the second year in a row, Donald Lewis, Dean of the Hamline University School of Law and currently serving as Of Counsel to Nilan Johnson Lewis, was recently named one of the most influential black attorneys in the United States by the OBABL (On Being a Black Lawyer). The organization will salute Lewis in their upcoming issue with a feature called “The Power 100 Special Edition,” which honors African-American leaders in the legal field.

This distinction is especially significant because according to the American Bar Association, less than 5 percent of U.S. attorneys are African-American. Lewis was selected by the OBABL’s editorial team and a separate group of advisers who scoured through publications, blogs and critical reviews in order to pick their final candidates.

Lewis’ legal experience spans nearly thirty years.  He co-founded Nilan Johnson Lewis where he worked as a trial lawyer prior to serving as Dean of Hamline University School of Law. He also has experience outside of private practice, having served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Minnesota and a trial attorney for the U.S. Justice Department. He continues to remain active in the legal community as well, holding professional associations with such prominent organizations as the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers and the National Employment Council.

Lewis is a 1978 graduate of Harvard Law School and received his BA from Northwestern University.