“Justice in Action, The Promise of Gideon”

Daniel Lew

Duluth, Minnesota | Chinese | He/him/his

He traveled 1,500 miles to the middle of America and ended up staying for life because justice called.

Dan Lew really had no clear aspirations about pursuing a law degree except it was something important to do after graduating from Queens College in New York City, and he believed in serving others for the greater good. He arrived in Minnesota in 1992 and adjusted pretty well to Midwestern life. He worked hard at school while working part time in catering, clerked for Minnesota’s first Asian judge Tony Leung, then graduated from Hamline Law school in 1995. 

Little did he know, life would steer him to the Scandinavian realm of Northeast Minnesota and into public defense. Acquainting himself to the tight knit, majority White, community was challenging, but thanks to his New York attitude and hard work ethic, he easily won people over.

After ten years of working as a staff attorney then eight years as the managing attorney, Dan was appointed as Chief Public Defender. He oversaw legal services for indigent people for the entire northeast corner of Minnesota in 2014. Dan was the first Asian lawyer appointed to such a position in the state’s history, and is now part of a small cohort who holds the same position throughout the nation. It’s an incredible milestone for a kid from Astoria who earned C-average grades in high school.

In the shadows of the landmark case of Gideon vs Wainwright, Dan and his colleagues serve over 9,500 clients each year, as they traverse to six courthouses and advocate with tenacity and spirit; despite losses and the system’s bias. Gideon’s promise pushes him to do this work every day, but in reality it takes compassion, perseverance, and it’s about seeking the well-being of our fellow neighbors. Even the most honest and kind people sometimes find themselves in unfortunate circumstances with the law. Well, thank goodness for Gideon; and thank goodness for public defenders like Dan who uphold justice and equity.