Melissa Lewis is a seasoned Negotiator, Mediator, and Attorney. After branching out as a corporate counsel and solo attorney, she has been able to apply her exceptional counseling skills and legal knowledge from her experience as an associate attorney with a rural law firm practicing in the following areas of law: General Practice, Corporate, Criminal, Disability, Estate Planning and Probate, Family and Divorce, Guardianship, Juvenile, Municipal, Property and Small Claims.
Melissa has represented clients who were hearing and deaf and is able to communicate in English and sign language, which allows her to reach both communities. She was born with a 95% hearing loss in both ears. In addition, Melissa is able to understand the issues that commonly occur between the hearing and deaf communities in legal circumstances such as the interactions between the police and individuals who are deaf. Therefore, due to the ongoing demand during her work as a corporate counsel, Melissa opened up her own law practice to continue to work with the deaf and hearing communities as needed to address their legal issues.
Melissa holds a B.S. in dietetics with honors from Iowa State University, a M.S. in sports nutrition and wellness with honors from Illinois State University. She is a registered dietitian (R.D.) with experience as a clinical dietitian and adjunct professor. Melissa also holds a J.D. from City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law. After relocating to her hometown in Iowa, she passed the bar exam in 2008 and is licensed to practice in the State of Iowa.
Melissa has a mediation certificate and is on the family law mediator roster for the 5th District of Iowa. She is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association, Guthrie County Bar Association (treasurer), and Iowa Young Lawyers Division of the Iowa State Bar Association. She was a council member of the Iowa Dual Relay Council with the Iowa Utilities Board and a board member of the Deaf Iowans Against Abuse.