Faculty Fridays IRL featuring Judge Nghana Lewis

Join us in the CIL for a quick discussion with faculty about research, current events and issues within their field of study and expertise.

The Honorable Nghana Lewis was elected to serve as District Court Judge, Division B, 40th Judicial District Court, on November 4, 2020 and took the bench on January 1, 2021. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Lewis was a tenured associate professor, with joint appointments in the English Department and Africana Studies Program, at Tulane University. She was also an affiliate faculty member of Tulane’s School of Law and an adjunct professor with Tulane’s Department of Psychology. In addition to her positions at Tulane, Judge Lewis maintained a private law practice, serving clients in the areas of criminal defense, employment & labor, and civil rights.

Judge Lewis’ research and teaching focus broadly on black literary and cultural studies, black women’s health & wellness, hip hop culture, and criminal justice reform. A proud native of Lafayette, Louisiana, Judge Lewis holds a BA in English from Tulane University; a PhD in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and a JD from Loyola University College of Law.