Bill Lann Lee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Lee
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| Assistant United States Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division | |||||||||||
| In office December 15, 1997 – January 20, 2001 Acting: December 15, 1997 – August 4, 2000 |
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| President | Bill Clinton | ||||||||||
| Preceded by | Deval Patrick | ||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Ralph Boyd | ||||||||||
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| Born | February 5, 1949 New York City, New York, U.S. |
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| Political party | Democratic | ||||||||||
| Spouse | Carolyn Yee | ||||||||||
| Children | 3 | ||||||||||
| Education | Yale University (BA) Columbia University (JD) |
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Chinese | 李亮畴 | ||||||||||
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Bill Lann Lee was born on February 5, 1949. He is an American lawyer who has spent his career fighting for civil rights. Civil rights are the basic rights and freedoms that all people should have. These include the right to be treated fairly and equally. Bill Lann Lee served as a top lawyer for the U.S. government. He was the Assistant United States Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. He worked under President Bill Clinton.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Bill Lann Lee grew up in New York City. His parents were immigrants from China. His father, William, had to find a special way to enter the U.S. because of a law called the Chinese Exclusion Act. This law made it very hard for Chinese people to come to America. William Lee owned a laundromat and served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. Even after serving his country, he faced unfair treatment because of his background.
Bill Lann Lee was a very good student. He went to the Bronx High School of Science. Then, he earned a scholarship to attend Yale University. At Yale, he studied history and graduated with high honors in 1971. He later went to Columbia Law School. He earned his law degree in 1974. While there, he won an award for his skills in a practice court competition.
Working for Civil Rights
While studying law, Bill Lann Lee worked with Jack Greenberg. Mr. Greenberg was a famous lawyer who took over from Thurgood Marshall at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF). The LDF is an organization that works to protect civil rights. After law school, Lee became a civil rights attorney at the LDF. He worked there until 1982.
He also helped the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. This group helps Asian Americans with legal issues. In 1983, he moved to Los Angeles, California. There, he worked on civil rights lawsuits. He later returned to the LDF to lead their office in the western United States.
Leading the Civil Rights Division
In 1997, President Bill Clinton chose Bill Lann Lee for a very important job. He wanted Lee to be the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Justice. This is one of the highest civil rights positions in the country. Some people in the Senate did not agree with his ideas on affirmative action. Affirmative action is about making sure everyone has fair chances, especially groups who have faced discrimination.
Because the Senate did not confirm him, President Clinton appointed him as "acting" Assistant Attorney General. This meant he could do the job without Senate approval for a time. He officially started on December 15, 1997. Later, on August 4, 2000, he received a "recess appointment." This allowed him to continue in the role until the end of Clinton's presidency.
As the highest-ranking Asian-American in the Department of Justice, Bill Lann Lee did a lot of important work. He helped make laws stronger against hate crimes. These are crimes motivated by prejudice against a group. He also worked to improve opportunities for people with disabilities. He fought against housing discrimination, which is when people are treated unfairly when trying to find a home. .....
After President Clinton left office, Bill Lann Lee became a visiting scholar at Columbia Law School. He also wrote a report on international human rights.
Later Career and Continued Advocacy
In 2001, Bill Lann Lee joined a law firm called Lieff Cabraser. He led their human rights work and helped with employment cases. Later, in 2006, he became a partner at another law firm in Oakland, California.
He continued his work for civil rights. He led a group that gathered information to help extend the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This important law protects the right to vote for all citizens. He also led a group that studied diversity in law firms in San Francisco. Today, he chairs the board of Advancement Project. This organization works for racial justice and civil rights. He is also a senior counsel in their California office.
Awards and Recognition
Bill Lann Lee has argued cases in many important courts, including seven U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal. He has also written legal papers for cases heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. He has been an active member of several legal groups.
He has received many awards for his work in civil rights law. These include:
- The Thurgood Marshall Medal of Justice (1998)
- The Trailblazer Award from the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (1999)
- The John Randolph Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Department of Justice (2001)
He has also received honorary law degrees from several universities. These include City University of New York Law School (2001), North Carolina Central University (2000), and Wesleyan University (1999).
Personal Life
Bill Lann Lee has three children. He lives in Berkeley, California.
