Melissa Shoshana Lewkowicz is not just an American criminal defense lawyer but also a familiar face on TV. Let’s take a closer look at her life, education, legal career, and some interesting facts.
Early Life, Family Life, Education
Melissa’s journey into law began with the influence of her mother’s high school boyfriend, Ira Chester. He used to share intriguing court case stories during weekly dinner parties at Melissa’s home. These stories sparked Melissa’s passion for defending the wrongly accused.
Her mother, Rita Lewkowicz, is an author who released the book “Outrageous Crimes of Fashion” in August 2021. Melissa got engaged to Jason Huberman in 2017, and the two tied the knot a year later.
Melissa’s educational journey took her from Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv, Israel, to Fordham University in New York, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and Philosophy. She continued her studies at Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center in New York, graduating in 2006. Subsequently, she was admitted to The State Bar of California in 2008.
Career
Melissa began practicing law after graduating from Touro College. Initially, she worked on pro bono cases for the King’s County District Attorney for nearly two years. In 2008, she became a partner at her own law firm, “Chester & Lewkowicz Attorneys at Law,” specializing in criminal defense. The firm handles cases ranging from driving under the influence to sex crimes, drug offenses, and more.
In 2017, Melissa stepped into the realm of reality TV with the show – Reasonable Doubt. The series featured her collaboration with retired homicide detective Chris Anderson as they investigated potentially wrongful murder convictions.
Awards
Melissa’s dedication to each case earned her recognition. In 2017, ‘Super Lawyers’ named her a ‘Rising Star’ among ‘Top Rated Criminal Defense Attorneys in Los Angeles.’ The following year, she was included in the list of ‘America’s Most Honored Professionals.’
Melissa attributes her law firm’s success to her dedicated and aggressive approach to every case.
During the filming of Reasonable Doubt, she had a habit of leaning forward, prompting the crew to use a bungee cord to keep her in place.
Melissa is multilingual, proficient in English, Yiddish, Spanish, German, French, and Hebrew.
In essence, Melissa Shoshana Lewkowicz is not only a skilled legal professional but also a versatile personality with a fascinating life both in and out of the courtroom.
