R. Fred Lewis built his career on the foundation he formed at the University of Miami School of Law, where he graduated cum laude, ranked third in his class, served on the University of Miami Law Review, and earned membership in Iron Arrow, Society of Bar and Gavel, and the Order of Barristers. Appointed to the Florida Supreme Court in 1998, he later became Chief Justice, advancing statewide initiatives in mental health policy, disability access, and judicial diversity training. A longtime champion of civic education and community service, he also founded Justice Teaching, now housed at the Justice Teaching Center for Civic Learning at Florida Southern College.
What aspects of the curriculum or faculty had the most significant impact on your legal education and career trajectory?
The most significant impact on my education and career flows from the broad curriculum and law school professors at the University of Miami School of Law. Both the required courses and availability of so many elective classes taught by top quality individuals opened the legal world to me from so many perspectives. The academic level was top quality, and the professors presented the material in a very practical way which encouraged me to expand my world. Having been born into a small coal mining town in West Virginia and attending a very small college, the University of Miami truly changed my life and opened up a world previously unknown to me.
How did your education at the University of Miami School of Law prepare you for your career?
The University of Miami provided me with the tools necessary to compete in the legal arena with those who attended what are considered to be the finest and best institutions in this country. I learned how to not just know the substance of the law but also how to utilize my knowledge to solve real human problems. I learned to utilize my competitive nature from my athletic background in courtrooms at all levels of our judicial system. This provided a successful legal career before entering the judicial branch.
What opportunities or connections did you gain at the law school, and how did they influence your career?
I began working for a law firm in Miami during the second semester of my first year. I worked primarily with two lawyers, both graduates of our law school. Ed Perse and Larry Kuvin initially became my mentors, later became my law partners and developed to be my brothers in life. These were two of the best lawyers I have ever encountered during my legal career and, most assuredly, two of the finest and best people I have ever known. Also, many of my classmates (far too many to list by name) have become my best friends in life. These friends have helped me in every aspect of my legal career from referral of clients to joint representation, to the selection process into the judicial branch. I continue to talk with those friends at least weekly about anything and everything.
