The District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission (“Commission”) has designated Catholic Law Alumnus the Honorable Milton C. Lee, Jr. '85 to serve as Chief Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia (“Superior Court”). Judge Lee will assume the office on October 1, 2024.

Judge Lee has devoted his legal career to serving the citizens of the District of Columbia. He is a native of the District of Columbia. Judge Lee obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. Following law school, he joined the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia as a staff attorney, representing indigent persons in the Family, Misdemeanor, and Felony Divisions of the Superior Court. He also argued a number of cases before the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

Judge Lee joined the Superior Court as a Hearing Commissioner in November 1997. The position of Hearing Commissioner was redesignated as Magistrate Judge in 2002 with the passage of the Family Court Act. Judge Lee served as the Presiding Magistrate Judge from 2006 until President Barack Obama appointed him to serve as an Associate Judge in 2010. Since joining the Superior Court nearly twenty-seven years ago, Judge Lee has served in the Family, Civil, and Criminal Divisions.

Judge Lee has demonstrated exceptional leadership abilities throughout his tenure at the Superior Court. He has served as the Presiding and Deputy Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division. Judge Lee served on the Joint Committee on Judicial Administration and the Superior Court’s Judicial Leadership Team. He has also led numerous initiatives to improve the quality of justice and service to litigants and attorneys alike. For instance, he is credited with spearheading the development of the Superior Court’s Fathering Court. The initiative represented a partnership between the Court, several governmental agencies, and the private sector that was directed toward creating opportunities for noncustodial parents to become meaningful contributors to the development of their children. The Fathering Court Initiative garnered national recognition for its innovative problem-solving approach to reuniting families.

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