APABA CELEBRATES BOARD MEMBER RICHARD LEE’S APPOINTMENT TO THE CALIFORNIA SUPERIOR COURT
August 18, 2010
The Asian Pacific American Bar Association (APABA) of Los Angeles County enthusiastically celebrates the appointment of Richard Y. Lee, current APABA Board member, to the Superior Court of California in Orange County. APABA thanks Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for the well-deserved appointment.
“APABA is very proud that one of our own board members has been appointed to the bench,” stated Karin Wang, APABA President. “Richard has devoted much of his legal career to public service and his appointment to the state judiciary is a fitting and deserved progression that benefits our state and the legal profession.”
Mr. Lee currently serves as Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, where he prosecutes federal crimes in the areas of counter-terrorism, counter-espionage, national security, and export controls. Previously, Mr. Lee prosecuted the full range of federal criminal violations including child exploitation, immigration, narcotics, public corruption, identity theft, and organized crime in the Santa Ana branch office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Prior to becoming an attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he was an associate at the international firm – Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP – where he specialized in employment matters. Mr. Lee also served as a research attorney for the Los Angeles Superior Court. He graduated college from Stanford University and received his J.D. from the University of Southern California Law School.
“APABA endorsed Richard Lee’s judicial application not simply because of his qualifications, which are extensive, but also because he has worked tirelessly for our members and the larger Asian Pacific American community as an APABA Board member,” stated Ritu Mahajan, co-Chair of APABA’s Public Appointments and Judicial Endorsement Committee. “He has been a leader on mentoring programs for law students and young lawyers, and we are confident that he will continue to inspire and mentor as a member of the state judiciary.”
