Richard Lee

Richard has previously presided over criminal matters, juvenile matters, and appellate matters. He has also served as a Supervising Judge and is a faculty lecturer to California judges on a variety of topics, including ethics and new judge orientation. Upon his appointment by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Richard became the first Korean-American judge to serve in Orange County. Prior to becoming a judge, Richard was a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for approximately 10 years. Richard also worked as a litigator at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP and he clerked for two Superior Court judges in Los Angeles. Richard earned his undergraduate degree in Human Biology with Departmental Honors from Stanford University and his law degree from the University of Southern California Law School. Richard and his wife, Carol, live in Orange County with their two daughters, one who graduated from Sage Hill in 2021 and another scheduled to graduate from Sage Hill in 2023.