Professor Caitlain Devereaux Lewis ’11 Calls on Practical Experience to Bring Students to Full Potential

Assistant Professor of Law Caitlain Devereaux Lewis ’11 is combining her practical experience with her connection to the law school to help students achieve their potential as legal professionals.

Lewis joined Albany Law School after almost seven years with the Congressional Research Service (CRS) at the Library of Congress.

She first served as a Legislative Attorney covering international trade and intellectual property law for Congress. She then served as a Supervisory Attorney managing a team of attorneys covering constitutional, health, intellectual property, international trade, tribal, and veterans law.

Her role at CRS involved “some policy, a lot of research, and a lot of writing,” which suits lawyers who prefer a different kind of practice than litigation, she noted, which is something she emphasizes in the classroom.

“I think it's really important for our students to think about all the different ways that they can practice law,” she said. “There are many different ways to practice law according to your own temperament.”

When it comes to jobs and internships, she stressed the importance of applying broadly and not self-eliminating from opportunities, recalling her own experience applying to the Congressional Research Service (CRS) with little expectation of success but ultimately landing the job.

“Let the world take you out of the running. Don’t take yourself out,” she said. “Always just go for everything that seems like it would be a good fit, and you just never know what doors will open.”

In addition to authoring numerous reports and white papers for CRS, Lewis also contributed to the Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation, a CRS treatise which provides legal analysis and interpretation of the Constitution based on a review of Supreme Court case law and historical practices.

“I loved working at the Congressional Research Service. It's really the best way to practice law because it's completely objective. You're not in an advocacy role, which is great for my personality, and at the same time, you're right in the heart of things legislatively. Being part of the legislative process in a non-political fashion is just such a unique experience,” she said.

Prior to joining the legislative branch, Lewis served the federal judiciary for five years, first as Law Clerk to the Honorable Richard K. Eaton ’74 of the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York, NY, and then as Law Clerk to the Honorable Evan J. Wallach of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C.

Lewis graduated from Albany Law School as Salutatorian, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Albany Law Review. Prior to law school, Lewis worked as a librarian and archivist specializing in electronic collections and digitization initiatives, including as Visual Resources Curator at the University at Albany. Lewis grew up in Southeast Asia, completing Elementary School in Bangkok, Thailand, and Middle and High School in Jakarta, Indonesia. She completed her first year of college in Florence, Italy, before moving to the United States.

Lewis praised the value of alumni connections and community, recounting how former classmates have helped her recommend a colleague for a position.

“A lot of opportunities come out just by being a member of this community,” encouraging students and alumni alike to maintain and cherish these networks.