Immigrant’s Son Who Became U.S. Judge

Ronald S.W. Lew, the son of a Chinese immigrant who worked his way through school in his father’s laundry business, served as a judge in the San Fernando Valley before becoming the first Chinese American to be appointed to U.S. District Court.

Lew was born in Los Angeles the third of nine children. His father immigrated from Canton in the 1920s and operated the Mandarin Laundry in downtown Los Angeles until his death in 1973.

Upon graduating from Loyola University, Lew studied at Southwestern University School of Law and served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

Lew worked as a deputy city attorney before going into private practice. His ascent through the judicial ranks began in 1982 when Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. appointed him a Los Angeles Municipal Court judge.

In 1984, Gov. George Deukmejian elevated Lew to the Los Angeles Superior Court, and in 1987 President Ronald Reagan appointed Lew to the federal bench.

Most recently, Lew presided over the six-month trial of a dozen members of the so-called Mexican Mafia who were convicted of racketeering and conspiracy charges, including murder and extortion.

A resident of the San Fernando Valley, Lew was a founder of the Chinatown Service Center and the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Assn. He is currently active in numerous civic, community, church and legal affairs.