Manuel Lewis, 2L
Manuel Lewis is a first descendant of the Gila River Indian Community and grew up in a border town near his family’s reservation in Arizona. He lived adjacent to the daily realities of life for many Native American people, but it wasn’t until he became an emergency dispatcher for his tribe that he began to fully grasp the depth and complexity of the community’s challenges. That experience led him to pursue a career in law as a way to make a broader, more lasting impact.
“My decision to attend Michigan Law was largely influenced by the school’s proximity to other Native American tribes,” he says. “I also wanted to learn under Professor Matthew Fletcher, ’97, one of the most renowned and prolific Native legal scholars in the country. Joining the Law School’s Native American Law Student Association chapter helped me feel confident I could leave my home state without feeling out of place.”
I’ve already come farther than I ever imagined, thanks in large part to the generosity of Michigan Law alumni. As a low-income, first-generation student, every bit of financial support I’ve received has been crucial. One day, I hope to pay it forward by helping remove barriers for the next generation of Native legal minds.
Lewis is also active in the National Lawyers Guild and the American Constitution Society.
“These spaces allow me to question and reckon with colonial realities and imagine decolonial futures. Because I come from a rural, conservative part of Arizona, being able to establish a queer community through the OUTlaws student group has been transformative as well.”
After graduation, Lewis plans to join Dorsey & Whitney LLP in Minneapolis to work in the American Indian/Alaska Native litigation group. His long-term goal is to return to Arizona and lead the Gila River Indian Community Office of General Counsel.