MINOT—North Central District Court Judge Gary H. Lee has announced he will seek re-election this year for what would be his fourth six-year term.
Judge Lee, a Minot native since the age of three, was first elected as District Judge in 2004 and then won re-election in 2010 and 2016. He earned both his undergraduate degree in English and his law degree from University of North Dakota in 1977 and 1980, respectively.
After serving for a couple years in the Attorney General’s office in the consumer fraud and antitrust division, he returned to Minot, where both his and his wife’s families lived, in 1982 and served in private practice until his first term as judge began in January 2005.
Since July 2014, Judge Lee has also served as Presiding Judge of the North Central Judicial District. The Presiding Judge is an administrative position that involves, according to Judge Lee, “supervision over staffing and over scheduling and making sure the docket currency standards are met.” He added, “It’s somewhat time-consuming.”
“I am in good health, I enjoy the job, and I want to continue in the position.” Judge Gary H. Lee, North Central District Court
Regarding his reasons for seeking a fourth term, Judge Lee said, “I am in good health, I enjoy the job, and I want to continue in the position.”
While some attorneys might never want to sit on the judge’s bench, Judge Lee expressed why he enjoys it so much.
“I always enjoyed the practice of law in the courtroom, arguing…jury trials,” he explained. “I did not particularly like the business side of the law.” Judge Lee added, “I also like doing the legal research and resolving problems through the use of the law and legal precedent, hopefully helping parties resolve their differences in the process.”
Clarifying his perspective further, Judge Lee said, “As a judge I see my responsibility as helping to resolve the differences between parties. You don’t always get to do that as an attorney [in private practice].”
Judge Lee resides in Minot with his wife Margaret. They have been married for 42 years.
