Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Justice Montoya-Lewis will discuss her experiences as a trial and appeals court judge in both tribal and state courts and share what state and federal courts can learn from tribal courts. Through her work in multiple systems, Justice Montoya-Lewis has professional experience with both tribal and state systems and has worked with tribes to develop tribal courts that reflect the values and traditions of indigenous communities in the Southwest and the Pacific Northwest. She will provide a general overview of state and tribal court systems, as well as discuss the differences between therapeutic and restorative practices in both systems.
The World Issues Forum series is free and open to the public. Talks are held at 12:00pm in Fairhaven College Auditorium, on the top floor of the Fairhaven College main building to the rear (east) side. If you enter from the west entrance (halfway between the second and third floor facing parking lot 12A), take the half-flight of stairs to the left and continue to east side of the building from there. You'll see the door to the auditorium a little to your left.
Join us at WWU or online on Zoom!
World Issues Forum updates are available online.
The views expressed in the World Issues Forum do not necessarily reflect those of Western Washington University.
Featuring:
Raquel Montoya-Lewis, J.D.
Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis is an Associate Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court. She was appointed by Governor Inslee in 2019 and won a full term in a contested election in 2020. Prior to that, she was a trial judge for 20 years, serving as a Whatcom County Superior Court judge and a tribal court judge for tribes in Washington and the Southwest. From 2003-2015, she was an Associate Professor at WWU’s Fairhaven College. Justice Montoya-Lewis holds a B.A. degree from the UNM, and J.D. and M.S.W. degrees from UW. She is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Isleta and a descendant of the Pueblo of Laguna and the first Native American on the Washington State Supreme Court.
Brought to you by:
Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies, WWU Tribal Relations Office, Native American Student Union at WWU, Center for Law, Diversity and Justice, The Ray Wolpow Institute, The Foundation for WWU & Alumni
Justice Montoya-Lewis will discuss her experiences as a trial and appeals court judge in both tribal and state courts and share what state and federal courts can learn from tribal courts. Through her work in multiple systems, Justice Montoya-Lewis has professional experience with both tribal and state systems and has worked with tribes to develop tribal courts that reflect the values and traditions of indigenous communities in the Southwest and the Pacific Northwest. She will provide a general overview of state and tribal court systems, as well as discuss the differences between therapeutic and restorative practices in both systems.
The World Issues Forum series is free and open to the public. Talks are held at 12:00pm in Fairhaven College Auditorium, on the top floor of the Fairhaven College main building to the rear (east) side. If you enter from the west entrance (halfway between the second and third floor facing parking lot 12A), take the half-flight of stairs to the left and continue to east side of the building from there. You'll see the door to the auditorium a little to your left.
Join us at WWU or online on Zoom!
World Issues Forum updates are available online.
The views expressed in the World Issues Forum do not necessarily reflect those of Western Washington University.
Featuring:
Raquel Montoya-Lewis, J.D.
Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis is an Associate Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court. She was appointed by Governor Inslee in 2019 and won a full term in a contested election in 2020. Prior to that, she was a trial judge for 20 years, serving as a Whatcom County Superior Court judge and a tribal court judge for tribes in Washington and the Southwest. From 2003-2015, she was an Associate Professor at WWU’s Fairhaven College. Justice Montoya-Lewis holds a B.A. degree from the UNM, and J.D. and M.S.W. degrees from UW. She is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Isleta and a descendant of the Pueblo of Laguna and the first Native American on the Washington State Supreme Court.
Brought to you by:
Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies, WWU Tribal Relations Office, Native American Student Union at WWU, Center for Law, Diversity and Justice, The Ray Wolpow Institute, The Foundation for WWU & Alumni
