Judge Milton Lee Begins Term as New D.C. Superior Court Chief Judge

Judge Milton Lee Begins Term as New D.C. Superior Court Chief Judge

October 01, 2024

By Jeremy Conrad

On October 1, Judge Milton C. Lee Jr. was installed as chief judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for an initial four-year term. A lifelong District native, Lee has served the court since his appointment as magistrate judge in 1998 and as associate judge in 2010.

Former chief judge Anita Josey-Herring administered Lee's oath of office in front of a small audience of longtime colleagues and family members that included D.C. Court of Appeals Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, Judicial Nomination Commission Chair Marie Johns, and former Superior Court chief judge Lee Satterfield. Lee took the oath on a Bible held by his wife, Administrative Law Judge Claudia Crichlow.

In his remarks, Chief Judge Lee briefly thanked those who came to share the moment with him. "This is actually a great moment, not just for me, but [also] for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia," he said. "We have an incredible team of judges, managers, and staff, and this is going to be a proud four years for all of us. [I] thank each and every one of you for your support. My commitment to you is that I'm going to bring my lunch pail every day to work, and I think that you are going to be proud of what we do, in the end."

Lee succeeded Josey-Herring, the first woman to serve as Superior Court chief judge, who faced the dual challenges of the pandemic and an ongoing judicial vacancy crisis when she began her term in October 2020. With Josey-Herring's departure, Superior Court now has nine judicial vacancies to fill.

Reflecting on her term, Josey-Herring said, "It has been a tremendous honor to serve as chief judge, and it really is the most memorable accomplishment of my judicial career. I worked as hard as I could to make the court better, and I'm very, very excited that the court is going to be in good hands."

Although the vacancy crisis remains serious enough that the new chief judge will continue to hear cases in addition to his new duties, Judge Lee's optimism and that of others is supported by the court's recent advances in technology and expansion of facilities, including the recently completed C Street Addition.

"It's a huge moment for me, but it's really a bigger moment for the court and the people that we serve," Lee said. "It's about our mission, and our mission is to serve. We've got a lot of good people working in this courthouse. They will rise to the occasion … you watch."