William Charles Lee

William Charles Lee (February 2, 1938 – January 20, 2024) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.

Education and career Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Lee received an Artium Baccalaureus degree from Yale University in 1959 and a J.D. degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 1962. He was in private practice in Fort Wayne from 1962 to 1970. He was a deputy prosecuting attorney of Allen County, Indiana from 1963 to 1969. He was the United States attorney for the Northern District of Indiana from 1970 to 1973. He was in private practice in Fort Wayne from 1973 to 1981.

Federal judicial service Lee was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on July 1, 1981, to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, to a new seat created by 92 Stat. 1629. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 27, 1981, and received his commission on July 28, 1981. He served as chief judge from 1997 to 2003. He assumed senior status on February 3, 2003. Lee died on January 20, 2024, at the age of 85.