John Zihun Lee

John Zihun Lee (born 1968) is an American jurist who serves as a United States circuit judge on the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Appointed by President Joseph R. Biden in 2022, Judge Lee previously held a decade‑long tenure as a district judge for the Northern District of Illinois. His career has encompassed service in the Department of Justice, private practice at several Chicago firms, and adjunct teaching positions, reflecting a breadth of experience in both litigation and legal education.

Early life and legal career

John Zihun Lee was born in Aachen, Germany, in 1968. He pursued his undergraduate studies at Harvard College, where he graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in 1989. Continuing at Harvard, he earned his Juris Doctor cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1992.

During the fall semesters of 1990 and 1991, while serving as a teaching fellow at Harvard University, Lee instructed a course on Greek mythology. After completing law school, he entered public service as a trial attorney in the United States Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, where he gained experience handling federal environmental litigation.

Lee transitioned to private practice in Chicago in 1994, joining Mayer Brown as an associate for two years. He then moved to the boutique firm Grippo & Elden LLC, serving there from 1996 until 1999. In 1999, Lee became a partner at Freeborn & Peters LLP, a Chicago‑based firm that specializes in complex federal civil litigation. While at Freeborn & Peters, he focused on intricate disputes involving federal statutes and regulations.

In addition to his practice, Lee contributed to legal education. During the fall term of 2000, he was an adjunct professor at The John Marshall Law School, teaching a course on antitrust law. This role complemented his earlier academic experience and demonstrated an ongoing commitment to mentoring future lawyers.

Federal appellate service

Lee’s federal judicial career began with his nomination by President Barack Obama on November 10, 2011 to fill the vacancy left by Judge David H. Coar on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on his nomination on January 26, 2012 and reported it favorably by voice vote on February 16, 2012, with Senator Mike Lee recording the sole dissenting vote. The full Senate confirmed Lee by voice vote on May 7, 2012, and he received his commission the following day. He served as a district judge from that time until September 12, 2022.

During his district court tenure, Judge Lee issued several decisions that attracted public attention. In July 2018, while sitting by designation on the Seventh Circuit, he authored an opinion for a unanimous panel in *Doe No. 55 v. Madison Metropolitan School District*. The panel concluded that the school district was not liable for sexual abuse perpetrated by its security guard because the principal lacked actual knowledge of the misconduct; the decision was later affirmed en banc. On May 3, 2020, Judge Lee ruled that Governor J. B. Pritzker’s statewide stay‑at‑home order issued in response to the COVID‑19 pandemic was constitutional, rejecting an injunction sought by an evangelical congregation seeking to continue in‑person worship services.

President Joseph R. Biden announced his intent to nominate Lee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on April 13, 2022, designating him as a successor to Judge Diane Wood, who planned to assume senior status upon confirmation of a replacement. The nomination was formally transmitted to the Senate on April 25, 2022. The Senate Judiciary Committee conducted a hearing on May 11, 2022; during this session Republican senators questioned Lee about his prior ruling upholding Governor Pritzker’s stay‑at‑home order.

The committee reported Lee’s nomination favorably by a vote of 12–8–2 on June 9, 2022. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture on the nomination on August 7, 2022. The Senate invoked cloture on September 6, 2022 with a vote of 48–42 and confirmed Lee the following day by a margin of 50–44. He received his commission on September 9, 2022, becoming the first Asian American judge to serve on the Seventh Circuit.

Jurisprudence and legacy

Judge Lee’s jurisprudential record reflects engagement with both civil rights and public health issues, as illustrated by his district court opinions. The *Doe No. 55* decision underscored a requirement for actual knowledge in establishing institutional liability for third‑party misconduct, a principle that aligns with established standards of supervisory responsibility. His ruling on the constitutionality of Illinois’s pandemic emergency measures demonstrated deference to executive authority during public health crises while balancing First Amendment considerations.

While serving on the appellate bench, Lee continues to apply his extensive background in federal civil litigation and environmental law. His prior experience as a trial attorney in the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division informs his perspective on cases involving regulatory compliance and governmental action. Moreover, his tenure in private practice handling complex federal disputes equips him with practical insight into procedural and substantive issues that arise before the appellate courts.

Beyond casework, Judge Lee’s contributions to legal education—through teaching roles at Harvard University, The John Marshall Law School, and earlier academic appointments—highlight a sustained commitment to developing future members of the legal profession. His status as the first Asian American judge on the Seventh Circuit marks a notable milestone in the diversification of the federal judiciary, offering representation that reflects broader demographic trends within the United States.

Overall, Judge John Zihun Lee’s career encompasses public service at multiple levels of the federal system, private sector litigation expertise, and academic involvement. His decisions have addressed significant questions of liability, constitutional authority, and governmental power, while his appointment to the Seventh Circuit adds a historic dimension to the court’s composition. As an active circuit judge, he continues to shape the development of federal law within the jurisdiction covering Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.