The Hon. W. Lee Fowler is a judge for the 5th Judicial District Court of Kansas. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor Bill Graves in 1997.
The 5th Judicial District encompasses Chase County and Lyon County. Fowler has held assignments in Lyon County. Over the course of his judicial career, Fowler played an instrumental role in the creation of the Lyon County Drug Court.
Prior to his appointment, Fowler spent sixteen years as an attorney in private practice, handling criminal, domestic, personal injury, real estate, commercial, and probate matters. He supplemented his practice with service as the County Attorney for Chase County (1985 to 1993).
Fowler earned a bachelor’s degree from Emporia State University. He then completed a J.D. at Washburn University School of Law. He was licensed to practice in Kansas in 1981.
His memberships have included the Lyon-Chase County Bar Association, the Kansas Bar Association, the Kansas District Judges Association, and the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. He has also been involved with the Kansas Sentencing Commission, the Kansas Supreme Court Commission on Specialty Courts, and the 5th Judicial District Community Corrections Advisory Board.
Born and raised in Parsons, Kansas, Fowler and his wife, Kelley, have five adult children.