Brandeis Center’s President

Alyza D. Lewin

Alyza D. Lewin is the President of The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law (“LDB”), a non-profit organization established to advance the civil and human rights of the Jewish people and promote justice for all. The Brandeis Center conducts research, education and legal advocacy to combat the resurgence of anti-Semitism on college and university campuses. It empowers students by training them to understand their legal rights, and educates administrators on best practices to combat racism and anti-Semitism on campus. Ms. Lewin is also a co-founder and partner in Lewin & Lewin, LLP where she specializes in litigation, mediation and government relations. Her experience includes criminal defense, civil litigation and anti-discrimination matters.

Ms. Lewin led the litigation team that represented Avi Zinger, the Israeli licensee of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, in the lawsuit that Mr. Zinger filed against Unilever to prevent Ben & Jerry’s boycott of Israel. Ms. Lewin negotiated a successful resolution to that matter pursuant to which Avi Zinger obtained the right in perpetuity to sell Ben & Jerry’s ice cream everywhere in Israel and the territories using the Hebrew and Arabic logos.

In 2014, Lewin argued Zivotofsky v. Kerry (the “Jerusalem Passport” case) before the U.S. Supreme Court, a case involving the constitutionality of a law granting any American citizen born in Jerusalem the right to list “Israel” as the place of birth on his/her U.S. passport. In Zivotofsky, the Supreme Court held that the President of the United States has the exclusive authority to recognize foreign sovereigns. The case paved the way for President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. After 18 years, Ms. Lewin brought this pro-bono case to a successful resolution in October 2020, when Secretary of State Pompeo revised the US passport regulations and Ambassador David Friedman presented her client with the very first US passport to list “Israel” as place of birth for a US citizen born in Jerusalem.

Ms. Lewin, together with her father Nathan Lewin, also successfully represented the Boim family in its landmark civil tort litigation which established the right of American victims of terror to obtain damages under American law against organizations that knowingly provide financial support to international terrorist groups.

Ms. Lewin began her law career in Israel where she clerked on the Supreme Court for Deputy President Justice Menachem Elon. Ms. Lewin served as President of the American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists (“AAJLJ”) from 2012 – 2017. In January 2020, Ms. Lewin was awarded the AAJLJ’s distinguished Pursuit of Justice Award.

Ms. Lewin received her B.A. from Princeton University in 1988 and a J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1992. She is a member of the bars of New York and the District of Columbia. Ms. Lewin has also been trained as a mediator by the American Arbitration Association and the Center for Dispute Settlement.

Ms. Lewin is married and has four children.