Jeonju-born Daughter of USFK Soldier Becomes Nevada Supreme Court Justice

Black Woman, Asian American First Case ... Term Until January 2025
Justice Lee: "Childhood Adversity Inspired Firm Resolve to Help Others"

Patricia Lee, the first Black woman and Asian American appointed as a Nevada Supreme Court Justice. Photo by Hutchison & Steffen Law Firm, Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] A Korean-American Black woman born to a U.S. military soldier stationed in Korea and a Korean mother in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, has become a Supreme Court justice in the state of Nevada, USA. This is the first time a Black woman or an Asian American has become a Nevada Supreme Court justice.

On the 21st (local time), Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak announced the appointment of Patricia Lee (47), a partner attorney at the Las Vegas-based law firm Hutchison & Steffen, as a state Supreme Court justice.

Governor Sisolak said, "All three candidates nominated by the state Judicial Selection Commission were so outstanding that the decision was very difficult," and cited "the breadth and depth of her abilities, as well as her personal and professional experience" as the reason for choosing Justice Lee among them.

Justice Lee double-majored in Psychology and Communication at the University of Southern California (USC) and served as president of the university's Black Student Association. She then graduated from George Washington University Law School and has worked at Hutchison & Steffen since 2002.

Justice Lee's maiden name was Thompson, but she took her husband Ronnie Lee's surname after marrying him in 2006; he runs a business consulting firm. They have two children. Justice Lee mainly handled complex commercial litigation, her specialty, but also took on patent law and family law cases.

According to the Supreme Court justice candidate questionnaire submitted to the Nevada Judicial Selection Commission, Justice Lee was born in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, Korea, to a Black U.S. military soldier stationed in Korea and a Korean mother. When she was four years old, her family left Korea and moved to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, after which her father ended his military service and retired.

She wrote in the questionnaire, "Because my father was Black, my birth was regarded as an unwelcome matter in Korea, and I was criticized as 'mixed-race'." Justice Lee recalled that when she was seven, her parents divorced, and her alcoholic father left home, after which she had to struggle to support her mother and two younger brothers. Since her mother barely spoke English, Lee, as the eldest daughter, had to take on the role of head of the household, including filling out basic living support documents.

When waking up, cockroaches crawled on the bed, and they were often evicted from rented homes two to three times a year on average due to unpaid rent, having to move from shelter to shelter. Her mother dated another man, but this man abused Justice Lee.

Unable to endure this, Justice Lee ran away from home at age 15, stayed at friends' houses while attending high school, served as student council president and cheerleading captain in her senior year, and graduated with top academic honors.

Justice Lee wrote in the questionnaire that the hardships she experienced in her childhood led her to a firm determination to help others, a resolve she still holds to this day.

Meanwhile, Justice Lee was appointed as the successor to former Supreme Court Justice Abbi Silver, who resigned in September this year. Justice Lee is an independent with no affiliation to either the Democratic or Republican parties, and her term runs until January 2025. To be reappointed, she must win the election scheduled for 2024.

The Nevada Supreme Court consists of seven justices, with two to three justices elected every even-numbered year for six-year terms. When a vacancy occurs, the governor appoints a successor who serves the remainder of the predecessor's term.