Hon. Timothy K. Lewis Appointed to Interbranch Commission for Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness

On December 21, the Honorable Timothy K. Lewis was appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to the Interbranch Commission for Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness for a two-year term. The 24-member Commission is responsible for addressing inequities and securing fairness and equal justice in Pennsylvania’s court system.

In 1999, then Chief Justice John Flaherty appointed the Supreme Court Committee on Racial and Gender Bias in the Justice System to conduct a three-year study to determine whether racial or gender bias plays a role in the justice system. The Committee completed its study in 2003, providing 173 recommendations to the court. The following year, the Interbranch Commission was established and charged with the responsibility of implementing the recommendations from the study.

In addition, the Commission raises awareness of the impact of race, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability on the fair delivery of justice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and suggests ways to eliminate bias within all branches of government and within the legal profession.

Judge Lewis has been an advocate for equal justice throughout his career. He is co-chair of the National Committee on the Right to Counsel, a bipartisan committee charged with reviewing the indigent defense system throughout the nation and creating consensus recommendations for necessary reforms. He also serves on the boards of the American Constitution Society (ACS) and the Constitution Project, and he speaks throughout the country on issues of equality, diversity and inclusion.