The Hon. Matthew D. Lee is an associate judge for the 6th Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois. He was appointed to the bench by the judges of the 6th Judicial Circuit on February 25, 2021, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. John Kennedy.
The Sixth Judicial Circuit includes Champaign County, DeWitt County, Douglas County, Macon County, Moultrie County, and Piatt County.
Prior to his appointment, Lee was an attorney in private practice at Meyer Capel in Champaign, a law firm he joined in 2014. During his tenure there, he defended individuals accused of driving under the influence.
Lee earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and speech communication from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign in 2000. He then completed a J.D. at the University of Illinois College of Law in 2003.
After graduating from law school, Lee began his legal career as an assistant state’s attorney with the McLean County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Born in Taiwan as the son of a minister, Lee moved with his family to the United States when he was an infant. He spent his childhood in Minnesota, Saskatchewan, and Colorado before his family settled in Naperville in 1990. Lee and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. When not presiding over legal proceedings, he enjoys playing the electric guitar. He attends Covenant Fellowship Church.