{ "id": "ep91cn2y8a", "slug": "kenneth-k-lee", "title": "Kenneth K. Lee", "updated": "2026-09-29", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law" }, { "id": "society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3", "label": "Article III judges (district and appellate)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges", "label": "United States courts of appeals judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-k-to-n", "label": "Surnames K to N", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-k-to-n" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-k-to-n", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Surnames K to N", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-k-to-n", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021", "label": "United States · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges", "label": "United States courts of appeals judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-k-to-n", "label": "Surnames K to N", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-k-to-n" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Kenneth K. Lee, also known as Kenneth Kiyul Lee, is an American jurist serving as a federal appeals judge on the Ninth Circuit since 2019, appointed by President Trump.", "snippet": "Kenneth K. Lee, also known as Kenneth Kiyul Lee, is an American jurist serving as a federal appeals judge on the Ninth Circuit since 2019, appointed by President Trump.", "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-k-to-n", "markdown": "# Kenneth K. Lee\n\nKenneth Kiyul Lee (born 1975) is an American jurist serving as a United States circuit judge of the [United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-court-of-appeals-for-the-ninth-circuit) since 2019.[1](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2019/05/16/Lee_Confirmed.pdf) He was appointed by President Donald J. Trump and confirmed by the Senate in 2019.[1](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2019/05/16/Lee_Confirmed.pdf) Lee, who was born in Seoul, South Korea, became the nation's first Article III judge born in the Republic of Korea.[1](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2019/05/16/Lee_Confirmed.pdf)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n| --- | --- |\n| Court | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6453086) |\n| Appointed by | Donald J. Trump[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6453086) |\n| Confirmed | May 15, 2019, by a vote of 52 to 45[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6453086) |\n| Born | 1975 in Seoul, South Korea[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6453086) |\n| Education | B.A., Cornell University, 1997; J.D., Harvard Law School, 2000[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6453086) |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nLee was born in 1975 in Seoul, South Korea.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6453086) He received his bachelor's degree, summa cum laude and [Phi Beta Kappa](https://www.edgepedia.org/phi-beta-kappa), from Cornell University in 1997, and his juris doctor, magna cum laude, from [Harvard Law School](https://www.edgepedia.org/harvard-law-school) in 2000.[1](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2019/05/16/Lee_Confirmed.pdf)\n\n## Legal career\n\nAfter law school, Lee clerked for Judge Emilio M. Garza of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit from 2000 to 2001.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6453086) He then practiced law as an associate at [Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz](https://www.edgepedia.org/wachtell-lipton-rosen-and-katz) in New York City from 2001 to 2006.[1](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2019/05/16/Lee_Confirmed.pdf)\n\nIn 2005, Lee served as special counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on the [Judiciary](https://www.edgepedia.org/judiciary), working for Senator Arlen Specter, who chaired the committee at the time.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6453086) From 2006 to 2009, he served as associate counsel and special assistant to President George W. Bush.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6453086) He then entered private practice in Los Angeles, California, becoming a partner at the law firm of Jenner & Block, where he practiced from 2009 until his appointment to the bench.[1](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2019/05/16/Lee_Confirmed.pdf) He was also an adjunct faculty member at Pepperdine Law School from 2010 to 2011.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6453086)\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nPresident Trump first nominated Lee to the Ninth Circuit on November 13, 2018; no Senate vote occurred on that nomination.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6453086) He was renominated on February 26, 2019, to the seat that had been vacant since March 29, 2018, when Judge Stephen Reinhardt of Los Angeles passed away.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6453086) The Senate confirmed him on May 15, 2019, by a vote of 52 to 45.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6453086) He received his commission on June 12, 2019.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6453086) Lee is expected to maintain chambers in [Pasadena, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/pasadena-california).[1](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2019/05/16/Lee_Confirmed.pdf)\n\n## Notable cases\n\nIn a case involving the appointment and removal process for immigration judges and members of the Board of Immigration Appeals, a Ninth Circuit panel on which Lee served held that the process comported with Article II of the Constitution and denied the petition for review filed by Amador Duenas.[3](https://ezel.ai/judges/ca9/kenneth-k-lee)\n\nIn 2026, writing separately as a panel overruled a district court and held that the President had the power to suspend the Refugee Admissions Program, Lee stated: \"District courts cannot stand athwart, yelling 'stop' just because they genuinely believe they are the last refuge against policies that they deem to be deeply unwise.\"[4](https://ethicsalarms.com/2026/03/17/ethics-quote-of-the-month-ninth-circuit-judge-kenneth-k-lee/) The blog Ethics Alarms named the passage its Ethics Quote of the Month.[4](https://ethicsalarms.com/2026/03/17/ethics-quote-of-the-month-ninth-circuit-judge-kenneth-k-lee/)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Senate Confirms L.A. Attorney Kenneth Kiyul Lee to Seat on Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2019/05/16/Lee_Confirmed.pdf)\n2. [https://www.fjc.gov/node/6453086](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6453086)\n3. [Kenneth Kiyul Lee — Rulings & How They Decide](https://ezel.ai/judges/ca9/kenneth-k-lee)\n4. [Ethics Quote of the Month: Ninth Circuit Judge Kenneth K. Lee](https://ethicsalarms.com/2026/03/17/ethics-quote-of-the-month-ninth-circuit-judge-kenneth-k-lee/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States courts of appeals judges › Surnames K to N*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Sep 29, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/kenneth-k-lee", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/kenneth-k-lee.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Kenneth K. Lee\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/kenneth-k-lee. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Kenneth K. Lee](https://www.edgepedia.org/kenneth-k-lee)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/kenneth-k-lee](https://www.edgepedia.org/kenneth-k-lee). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Kenneth K. Lee\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/kenneth-k-lee. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Kenneth K. Lee, also known as Kenneth Kiyul Lee, is an American jurist serving as a federal appeals judge on the Ninth Circuit since 2019, appointed by President Trump." }