Hon. Timothy K. Lewis

Former federal appeals judge Timothy K. Lewis is co-chair of Schnader’s ADR Practice Group and serves as a mediator, arbitrator, settlement counselor, and trial and appellate practitioner. Judge Lewis is a past co-chair of Schnader’s Appellate Practice Group.

Before entering private practice, Judge Lewis served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He was serving on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania when President George H. W. Bush elevated him to the Court of Appeals in 1992. At the time of both appointments he was the youngest federal judge in the United States. Before being appointed to the federal bench, Judge Lewis served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania and as an Assistant District Attorney in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

As a federal judge, Judge Lewis tried, decided and authored opinions in all matters that came before the federal courts, particularly in the areas of employment disputes, class actions, intellectual property, and commercial and corporate disputes. As co-chair of Schnader’s ADR practice group, he has developed a national and international ADR practice involving many of the world’s leading corporations. Judge Lewis also provides strategic counseling and conducts moot courts in various federal appellate matters in circuit courts throughout the country. Judge Lewis also handles federal and state criminal cases and corporate investigations.

Other Distinctions

Judge Lewis has received many awards and honors, both as a judge and as an attorney, including:

•Selected as Best Lawyers “2015 Lawyer of the Year” in arbitration for Washington, D.C.;
•Recognition in The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Administrative/Regulatory Law, Appellate Law, Arbitration, Commercial Litigation, and Mediation (2010-2020);
•Noted as a “Pennsylvania Super Lawyer” for Appellate Law 2012-2013, 2019;
•Recognition as a 2013 “Washington, D.C. Super Lawyer” for alternative dispute resolution;
•Recognition by the editors of The National Law Journal and the Legal Times as one of publication’s 2010 “Champions and Visionaries,” honoring attorneys who have gone the extra mile to enhance the business of law and ensure justice is done;
•Recognition as one of the “Lawdragon 500 Leading Judges in America,” by Lawdragon magazine;
•Outstanding Director Award, given by the American Arbitration Association to a member of the organization’s Board of Directors who has distinguished themselves through their singular and outstanding efforts in furthering the Association’s mission of service and education in the field of conflict management;
•Outstanding Achievement Award from Duquesne University School of Law;
•Distinguished Alumni Award from The Kiski School;
•Athletic Hall of Fame, The Kiski School;
•Selected as one of The Legal Intelligencer’s “Diverse Attorneys of the Year” for 2015;
•Pennsylvania Bar Association Minority Bar Committee Award of Achievement.

News & Publications

•Timothy K. Lewis Helps Develop Clause to Ensure Diversity in Alternative Dispute Resolution
•Timothy K. Lewis Interviewed for Law360 Article on Roger Stone Sentencing
•Timothy Lewis appeared on NBC10 @ Issue
•An Important Endeavor for Justice
•Timothy Lewis Appeared on The Beat With Ari Melber to Address “Trump and Ukraine: The Impeachment Crisis”
•Schnader Wins First Amendment Appeal in the Third Circuit
•Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America 2020
•Schnader’s Appellate Team Wins Third Circuit Reversal of Asylum Petition Dismissal and Halts Deportation of Political Refugee from Nepal
•Schnader Lawyers Named to PA Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
•Tim Lewis Receives CPR’s 2019 Award for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in ADR
•Timothy Lewis Featured in a Video by the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution
•Washington Post Op-Ed References Tim Lewis’s Brookings Report
•Timothy Lewis Was Interviewed for the Online Podcast of the Project on Government Oversight
•Timothy Lewis Addresses Concerns About the Supreme Court Nomination of Brett Kavanaugh
•Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America 2019
•Tim Lewis Published “Promoting Diversity in Mediation” as the Cover Story in CPR’s Alternatives Newsletter
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Spoke at Two Major CPR Events
•Hon. Timothy Lewis Writes the Cover Story for The Pennsylvania Lawyer
•Tim Lewis Assesses SCOTUS Case Involving Defendant’s Right to Contest Guilt
•Tim Lewis Op-Ed On Death Penalty Case Before U.S. Supreme Court
•Timothy Lewis Co-signed Amicus Brief with Ongoing Impact
•40 Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America 2018
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Noted in Op-ed on New DOJ Guidelines
•Schnader Helps Secure Victory for Pro Se Incarcerated Defendants
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Examines Historic Bank Records on Local News
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Helps Senator Casey Vet Judge Gorsuch
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Participates in Panel Discussion on SCOTUS Nominee
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Weighs in on Supreme Court Vacancy
•Third Circuit Appellate Practice Manual (Third Edition)
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Appointed to Interbranch Commission for Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Joins Board of American Constitution Society
•Lewis Quoted in “Former Pittsburgh Federal Prosecutor, Judge Join Bipartisan Criticism of FBI Director Comey”
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Receives Leadership Award from Diversity Council
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis is Keynote Speaker at Pennsylvania Bar Association Diversity Summit
•Thirty-Seven Schnader Attorneys Selected for The Best Lawyers in America 2017
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Gives Presidential Address With Vice President Biden
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Quoted on Garland Nomination
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Profiled in The Philadelphia Inquirer
•White House Acknowledges Timothy K. Lewis’s Statement at US Senate Judiciary Committee Forum
•“Mr. Trump, a real leader shows respect for the law”
•“Courts Should Review Bankruptcy Equitable Mootness Doctrine”
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis is Featured in the Spring 2016 Issue of the ABA’s Dispute Resolution Journal
•Refining Inherent Power: Belated Thoughts on the Second Circuit’s Decision in ReliaStar
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Spoke at National Constitution Center about Supreme Court Nomination Controversy
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Speaks at U.S. Senate Forum on Chief Judge Merrick Garland Nomination
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Co-Authors Op-Ed in Notable Death Penalty Case
•Big-Name Criminal Defenses Offer Pressure and Reward for Schnader
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Selected for Master Mediator Panel
•“Lawyers’ ad against court candidate is disgraceful”
•Thirty-Three Schnader Attorneys Selected for The Best Lawyers in America 2016
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Delivers Powerful Lecture on Race and Justice in the Legal Industry
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Recognized as one of the “Diverse Attorneys of the Year”
•Schnader’s Hon. Timothy Lewis Offers Counsel to Governor Wolf in Preparation for Moratorium on the Death Penalty in Pennsylvania
•“The Dismal State of Diversity: Mapping a Chart for Change”
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Selected as the Best Lawyers Arbitration “Lawyer of the Year” in Washington, D.C.
•Thirty-Two Schnader Attorneys Selected for The Best Lawyers in America 2015
•Hon. Timothy Lewis Quoted Regarding Boehner/Obama Lawsuit
•Hon. Timothy Lewis Admitted to the College of Commercial Arbitrators
•“Judicial Discretion Can Help the Poor”
•Duquesne University School of Law Honors Prominent Alumni Including Schnader Counsel Honorable Timothy K. Lewis
•Hon. Timothy Lewis Quoted Regarding U.S. AG Eric Holder’s Federal Sentencing Policy Changes
•Super Lawyers Recognizes Many Schnader Attorneys in 2013
•Thirty-One Schnader Attorneys Selected for The Best Lawyers in America 2014
•Hon. Timothy Lewis Remarks on Results of Graham Spanier Hearing
•Timothy Lewis and NAACP President Benjamin Jealous Discuss Civil Rights Movement
•Judge Timothy Lewis Quoted Regarding Judge Paul Simmons Oral History Presentation
•Super Lawyers Recognizes Many Schnader Attorneys in 2012
•Class Action Waivers After Concepcion: The Emergence of a Circuit Split Over the Decision’s Impact on Federal Claims Makes a Return to the Supreme Court Likely
•Schnader’s Judge Lewis Signs Clemency Petition for Terrance Williams
•Schnader Attorneys Offer Comment on Upcoming Supreme Court Cases
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis and Elizabeth Ainslie Held Press Conference to Voice Disagreement with the Freeh Report
•Thirty-Three Schnader Attorneys Selected for The Best Lawyers in America 2013
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Appointed to the American Arbitration Association Judicial Settlement Conference Service Panel
•Judge Lewis and The Constitution Project Release Statement on the Department of Justice’s Practice of Failing to Disclose Favorable Evidence to Defendants
•Appellate Rule Amendments Add New Class of Cases to Those Covered by Longer Appeal Periods
•New Pennsylvania Rules Require Immediate Appeals in Matters Involving Trusts, Charities, and Other Proceedings Heard by Pennsylvania Orphans’ Courts
•“It’s Time to Fill Judicial Vacancies”
•Pennsylvania Supreme Court Issues Two Important Decisions on Attorney-Client Privilege and Attorney’s Fees
•A Team of Schnader Attorneys Achieve Appellate Victory for Client in In re SK Foods
•“Act With Dispatch to Ease Federal Courts’ Vacancy Burden”
•Gov. Jack Markell Commutes Death Sentence of Robert Gattis
•Do Not Let the Third Circuit’s Recent Decision in Liggon-Redding v. Estate of Robert Sugarman Scare You: An Alternative Method to Dispose of Meritless Legal Malpractice Actions Remains
•“Justice Shouldn’t Be Just for the Rich”
•“‘Black Like Me’: Is Racism Poisoning Our Political Debate?”
•Judge Lewis Featured Guest Blogger for The Peter Jennings Project
•Schnader Attorneys Achieve Victory for General Electric in Important Asbestos Appeal
•“The Federal Court Nominations Battles: Have We Considered the Consequences?”
•Thirty Schnader Attorneys Recognized as “The Best Lawyers in America” for 2012
•Supreme Court Strengthens Preemption Defense for Manufacturers
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Quoted on White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler
•Eleven from Schnader Are Members of The American Law Institute
•Interlocutory Appeals of Denials of Motions to Dismiss in the Wake of Twombly: A New Option for the Defense?
•Schnader’s Judge Timothy Lewis Discusses Vacant Seats on the Federal Bench on NPR’s Morning Edition
•Judge Lewis Joins Judge Abner Mikva in Calling for Reform of the Judicial Nominee Process
•“Let’s Fix Judicial Nominee Process”
•“The Benefits of Moot Courts: From the Perspectives of an Arguing Attorney and a Judge”
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Invited to Join the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers as an Honorary Fellow
•Four from Schnader Are Members of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers
•Judge Lewis Recognized in Several Publications for his “Champions and Visionaries” Award
•Thirty-Two Schnader Attorneys Recognized as “Best Lawyers in America” for 2011
•Pro Bono Newsletter Summer 2010
•Third Circuit Appellate Practice Manual (Second Edition)
•Judge Lewis Recognized as a 2010 “Champion” by the Legal Times and National Law Journal
•Judge Timothy K. Lewis Delivers Keynote Address at the Fourth National Symposium for Minority Professionals in Alternative Dispute Resolution
•Judge Lewis Appointed to the Board of Advisors for the Peter Jennings Project for Journalism and the Constitution
•“Always a Judicial Function”
•Judge Lewis Challenges the Brookings Institution’s Condemnation of Congress in the National Law Journal Article “Always a Judicial Function”
•Schnader Delivers Significant Victory for the State Bar of California
•Judge Timothy K. Lewis Appointed to the Board of Directors of the Constitution Project
•Pro Bono Newsletter Fall 2009
•Judge Lewis and Ken Gormley Offer Comment on the Sotomayor Nomination
•Judge Lewis Continues His Work as the Co-chair of the National Right to Counsel Committee
•Judge Lewis Appointed to the Advisory Board of the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia
•Judge Timothy K. Lewis Honored with the American Arbitration Association’s Outstanding Director Award
•National Right to Counsel Committee Releases Groundbreaking Report on the State of Indigent Representation in America
•Judge Timonthy Lewis Featured in an NPR Report on the Provision of Counsel to the Indigent
•Third Circuit Chimes in on Controversy Surrounding Enforcement of Mandatory Arbitration Clauses and Class Action Waivers, Holding that Certain Class Action Waivers May Be Unconscionable Under New Jersey Law
•Judge Adams and Judge Lewis to Participate in the Third Annual Peter Jennings Project
•Wellington Represents Schnader at a Tribute to William T. Coleman, Jr.
•Schnader’s Ken Gormley Quoted in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
•Schnader a Proud Sponsor of the 2008 Just The Beginning Foundation Biennial Conference
•Schnader Supports the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project
•Judge Lewis Quoted on Diversity in Legal Profession
•Judge Lewis to Speak at ABA’s ‘Pacific Currents - Sound Perspectives on ADR’
•In Russia, Judge Lewis Speaks on U.S. Human Rights
•Schnader Well-Represented in Bar Association of the Third Federal Circuit
•Schnader Receives Frederick Douglass Human Rights Award
•Schnader Attorneys Involved with New Third Circuit Appellate Practice Manual
•Judge Lewis Comments Again on Wecht Case
•Judge Lewis Quoted on Capital Case Representation
•Judge Lewis Elected to CPR Board
•Judge Lewis to Chair American Arbitration Associations’ Committee on Diversity
•Judge Lewis Quoted on Wecht Case
•Judge Lewis Mentioned in Article on Death Penalty Case
•Schnader Appeals
•Judge Lewis Defends Habeas Corpus
•Judge Lewis Joins Edward Coke Appellate Inn of Court
•Judge Lewis Comments on Third Circuit Nomination
•Judge Lewis to Consult on Diversity in ADR
•Former Judge Timothy K. Lewis Testifies Before the Senate Judiciary Committee
•Judge Lewis Elected to American Arbitration Association Executive Committee
•Judge Lewis Quoted on Judicial Nomination Process
•Judge Lewis Honored as One of America’s Top Jurists
•Schnader Appellate Group Feted in The Pennsylvania Lawyer Magazine
•Judge Lewis Testifies in Support of Judge Alito’s Nomination to the Supreme Court - See LIVE Video of the Testimony
•Schnader Attorney to Testify on Supreme Court Nominee
•Judge Lewis to Speak on Supreme Court Nominee Alito
•Judge Lewis, Winkelman Quoted Extensively in Media about Judge Alito
•“Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Writes Op-Ed on Racist Juror for The Los Angeles Times”

Community & Pro Bono

•The Kiski School, Board of Trustees; The Kiski School Board of Visitors; Alumni Council, former member
•Boule (national post-baccalaureate fraternity of black professional men), member
•Boy Scouts of America, Southwestern Pennsylvania Region, Board of Directors, former member
•Pittsburgh Children’s Museum Board of Directors, former member
•Imani Christian Academy, Governing Board of Directors, member

Pro Bono

•Judge Lewis was one of four former federal appeals judges who took the unprecedented step of filing an amicus brief on behalf of Delma Banks in the United States Supreme Court in 2003, in a case in which the court overturned the death penalty.
•During the fall of 2003, Judge Lewis chaired and moderated a series of national town meetings and congressional-style hearings called by Amnesty International on the subject of “Racial Profiling, Pre- and Post-9/11.”
•In December 2002, Judge Lewis served as the U.S. representative on an international faculty of judges and mediators during a U.S. AID-sponsored Mediation Roundtable in the Republic of Croatia.
•In February 2008, Judge Lewis served as a Delegate to the U.S.- Russian Roundtable Conference on International Peace in Moscow, which was an outgrowth of the G-8 Summit, and delivered the opening statement on behalf of the U.S. Delegation.
•Judge Lewis is a co-chair of the National Committee on the Right to Counsel (with former Vice President Walter Mondale as honorary co-chair), a bipartisan committee established by the National Legal Aid and Defender Association and the Constitution Project to review the indigent defense system throughout the nation and create consensus recommendations for necessary reforms.
•Judge Lewis has filed many amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court in cases ranging from the death penalty to bankruptcy matters to judicial ethics.
•In 2014, Judge Lewis advised Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf on the constitutionality of imposing a moratorium on the death penalty in Pennsylvania, which was adopted and implemented by the Governor.
•In 2016, Judge Lewis testified before Senate Democrats on the pending nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the United States Supreme Court.

Teaching

•Judge Lewis taught “Advocacy and Adjudication” as an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and is a former member of the Visiting Committee of the University of Chicago School of Law.
•Judge Lewis has served as a guest lecturer, moot court judge, and commencement speaker at various law schools, including the University of Pittsburgh, the Georgetown Law Center, Duquesne, Temple and Harvard.
•Judge Lewis has trained Department of Justice attorneys in mediation at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina, and served as an instructor in trial advocacy at the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute.
•Judge Lewis has served on the faculty of many continuing legal education programs, focusing upon appellate practice and procedure, mediation, arbitration, and employment discrimination.

Related Events

•A Master Class Seminar on Pursuing Diversity
•The Diversity Dilemma: ADR in the Aftermath of Jay-Z
•Schnader Sponsors and Hosts the CPR Regional Meeting in Philadelphia on April 30
•The Legacy and Leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Future Challenges and Opportunities
•2018 PDLG Symposium: Diversity in the First Chair: Symposium on Women and Diverse Lawyers in the Courtroom and Boardroom
•Timothy Lewis Gave the Keynote Address at the 30th Anniversary Gala of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts
•Timothy Lewis Spoke at Duquesne University School of Law and University of Pennsylvania Law School
•Tim Lewis Spoke at Duquesne University School of Law
•Tim Lewis Spoke at the American Constitution Society’s National Convention
•Tim Lewis Spoke at Georgetown University Law Center Conference
•Hon. Timothy Lewis Spoke on Race Relations and Civil Rights
•Tim Lewis Appeared on MSNBC to Discuss the Mueller Investigation and the President
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Participated in Criminal Justice Symposium
•Hon. Timothy Lewis Gives Constitution Day Speech
•Hon. Timothy Lewis Appears on MSNBC to Discuss the Special Counsel Russia investigation
•Timothy K. Lewis Was Keynote Speaker at 30th Anniversary Conference of the National Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution
•Timothy K. Lewis Returns to Alma Mater As Part of Guest Speaker Series
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Spoke at the Rosemary Barkett Appellate American Inn of Court Panel Discussion
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Presented to New York State Bar Association
•Timothy K. Lewis Spoke at American Arbitration Association Annual Conference
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Spoke at National Constitution Center about Supreme Court Nomination Controversy
•Statement of the Honorable Timothy K. Lewis (ret.) to the Democratic members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the nomination of Chief Judge Merrick Garland to the U.S. Supreme Court
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Keynote Speaker at Philadelphia Bar Association Quarterly Meeting
•Timothy K. Lewis Spoke at PBA Minority Bar Committee’s Diversity Summit
•Hon. Timothy Lewis Appears on MSNBC to Discuss President Obama’s Drug Offender Pardon Plan
•Hon. Timothy Lewis Appears on MSNBC to Discuss Prison Reform
•Schnader Attorneys Presented at the American Bar Association 2012 National Institute on Aviation Litigation
•Schnader Attorneys Presented at DELVACCA In-House Counsel Conference
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Presides Over Peter Jennings Project 2012 Moot Court
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Participates in “Judicial Vacancies, Justice Denied” Panel
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Presented at the Sixth Annual Arbitration Training Institute
•Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Participates in Capitol Hill Briefing on the Habeas Rights of Guantanamo Detainees Broadcast on C-SPAN
•The National Symposium for Minority Professionals in Alternative Dispute Resolution
•Conference: Eighth Annual Defense Research Institute Appellate Advocacy Conference
•The Challenge of Effective Marketing Strategies and Techniques for Ethnic and Racial Minorities in the Profession
•The Unique Perspective of Judge-Turned-Litigant
•A Conversation on the Constitution: Judicial Independence
•Dos and Don’ts of Trying a Patent Infringement Case in Federal Court
•Assessing Transactional Costs: E-Discovery, Management of Outside Counsel, and Other Topics
•Federal Judicial Conference for the Central District of California