News Release Governor Ricketts
Governor Pete Ricketts appointed Patrick M. Lee of Kearney as District Court Judge in the Ninth Judicial District, which consists of Buffalo and Hall counties.
Lee, 37, has worked in the Buffalo County Attorney’s Office as Deputy County Attorney since May 2011. In that capacity, he has prosecuted all levels of criminal cases. Over the past decade, Lee has served as a special prosecutor on numerous occasions, including appointments in Adams, Dawson, Kearney, and Phelps counties. Additionally, Lee has routinely created and presented continuing education courses.
Lee holds a B.A. in History from Nebraska Wesleyan University and a Juris Doctor with a Certificate in the Litigation Concentration from Creighton University School of Law. He is a member of the Nebraska State Bar Association and was named its Outstanding Young Lawyer in 2018. Nebraska Mothers Against Drunk Driving presented him with its Hero Award in 2018.
Lee is a member, and recently completed his term as chair, of the Client Assistance Fund Board, to which he was appointed by the Nebraska Supreme Court. As chair, he worked with fellow members to receive, review, investigate, and make determinations on claims of loss related to dishonest conduct by Nebraska attorneys. Lee also is a member of the Supreme Court’s Technology Committee.
Lee is currently President of the Board of Directors of HelpCare Clinic, a safety net clinic serving the uninsured in Buffalo and Kearney counties. The clinic opened its doors to patients in 2015, and Lee has been on its board since 2019. Lee is also an alumnus of Leadership Kearney as a member of Class #23.
Lee is being appointed to the District Court to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Mark J. Young.