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Chris Lee has his roots right here in Southern Nevada, but building that sense of home and place meant struggle, sacrifice and a family willing to make a deep commitment to hard work. Chris proved himself during the years he served as a prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney here in Clark County. And, he is proving it again as the Deputy Secretary of State for Southern Nevada, overseeing the investigation of consumer fraud, financial predators who prey on senior citizens, and in his efforts to assure the integrity of our voting system.
 In 1977, when Chris was just two years old, his family made the decision to emigrate from Korea to America. It wasn’t an easy decision. Chris’s father was a doctor of oriental medicine with his own practice and his mother was a pharmacist with her own drugstore. Leaving meant giving up all they had worked to build and leaving all their friends and family behind. But the desire for a better life for their two children was stronger than the risk of sacrifice, and Chris, his older brother, his mother and father left for America.
As with many young families just starting out, Chris’s parents put in long hours, hard work and sacrifice, but they knew their goal—an opportunity for their two sons to have a better life.
 They saved enough money to buy a house, took their respective examinations, gained their professional licenses and worked their way back into the professions they had left behind.
After attending Walter V. Long Elementary School for kindergarten, Chris was enrolled at St. Anne’s where he went through grade school and middle school. The family had studied for the citizenship exam and took it as soon as they were qualified to become U.S. citizens. Chris remembers going over the Pledge of Allegiance—not just the words, but the meaning of each word—with his parents when he was in fourth grade.
 After 8th grade at St. Anne’s Chris enrolled in Gorman High School, doing well in academics and invited to attend Boys’ State and represented Gorman at the Leadership Las Vegas Conference. At the same time, Chris found time to be involved in a wide range of athletics. He was the only male diver on Gorman’s diving team, earned a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do winning multiple State/Regional Champion and participating in the Junior Olympics in Texas. Chris became an enthusiastic golfer, won best doubles team award, and was part of three state championship tennis teams.
After graduation from high school, Chris attended Occidental College, earning his Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in political science and received Dean’s List honors. He played on the Occidental College tennis team and served as a resident advisor.
 Chris Lee attended Santa Clara Law School, graduating with his juris doctorate. At Santa Clara, Chris was named a Law Faculty Scholar, elected President of the Asian Pacific Law Students Association, selected as Chairperson of the Admissions Application Review Committee, and held the position of Visiting Student at Loyola Law School (Los Angeles).
While still in law school, Chris used his summers to gain real-world training. He was a Corporate Intern for Southern California Edison, a major utility company, where he conducted research, analysis, and forecasting of corporate issues facing Edison as a result of a deregulating utilities industry as a team member of Internal and External Communications.
 Chris gained knowledge of court workings as a Judicial Extern for Judge Don Chairez, Eighth Judicial District of Nevada here in Southern Nevada. Chris’s duties included legal research and writing of briefs and memorandums based on prosecution and defense motions. He also reviewed cases and submitted recommendations on parole and probation reports. Additionally, Chris prepared daily criminal and civil calendars.
Chris expanded his legal training as an Investigator-Trainee, for the U.S. Department of Labor – Pension and Welfare Benefit Administration. There Chris investigated compliance with ERISA regulations and laws by plan administrators and insurance carriers; served as pension and health care benefits advisor to participants and plan administrators; and assisted the resolution of inquiries into 401(k), COBRA, HIPPA, and other pension and healthcare benefits issues.
In his final semester of law school Chris Lee started the application process for the F.B.I. and went through their Phase One testing and was set to go on to his Phase Two testing when he received an offer to work in the Clark County District Attorney’s office under District Attorney Stew Bell.
In the District Attorney’s office Chris started as a law clerk at D.A.-Civil Division; then transferred over to D.A.-Criminal as a law clerk in their appellate division; then was assigned as D.A.-Criminal Bad Check Division law clerk.
Promoted to a Deputy District Attorney, Chris was assigned to the Domestic Violence Unit, a unit within the Special Victim’s Unit and then worked on the Driving Under the Influence Unit (DUI Team). As a Deputy District Attorney, Chris has built considerable experience in the courtroom.
Additionally, Chris maintained a close working relationship with our police officers, and served as an instructor at the Metro Police Academy, training new recruits.
At various times, Chris was assigned to represent the public as a prosecutor in the courts of Judge Bixler, Judge Glass, Judge Gates, Judge Smith, Judge Vegas, Judge Loeher, Judge Oesterle, Judge Burr and Judge McGroarty. This real-world courtroom experience gives Chris Lee a valuable perspective in how to organize and conduct court business with an eye towards efficient management, consideration for victims and witnesses, and respect for the rule of law.
While many criminal cases end up in plea agreements, Chris Lee managed to acquire true experience as a prosecutor in trial cases. Chris has taken 22 cases to jury trial with a conviction record of 20-2. These jury trials consist of every type of serious case including a murder trial, several child molestation/rape cases, burglary, kidnapping, robbery, and evading police. In the process, Chris secured numerous life sentences with the convictions. Additionally Chris handled hundreds if not thousands of other cases that resolved short of trial.
 Over 7 years ago, Chris met Ji Hye Kim when she was pursuing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Ji Hye graduated from UNLV with a Bachelors of Science degree in Hotel Administration.
While Chris is working in the public sector, and being active in the community, his wife Ji Hye has been busy herself. Ji Hye has been nominated to the National Deans List for her academics, accepted into the UNLV MBA Program, and worked as an interpreter for Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada. In addition to having held an active Nevada Real Estate License, she works as an Authorized Court Interpreter in English – Korean for the Eighth Judicial District Court of Nevada. She has worked as an interpreter for everything from court proceeding to civil depositions to state examinations. Somehow Ji Hye still finds time to pursue her interest in graduate school studies.
 Chris and Ji Hye have been even busier lately since celebrating a new addition to their family, son Christopher, born in late 2006. They also have two puppies, Bella—a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel—and Bruce—a Japanese Chin.
Chris is active in the community and his profession, serving as a board member for the Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada. In the past, Chris has also served as a board member for the Alzheimer Advisory Board – Memory Walk, helped organize a Habitat for Humanity Project, and served as a Big Brother for the Boys and Girls Club’s “Boys Night Out.”
As a former Deputy District Attorney, Chris was a member of the Nevada Trial Lawyers Association, the Clark County Bar Association, the Nevada Bar Association and the Nevada Association of District Attorneys. Chris was invited as a guest lecturer for the “Trial by Peers” programs conducted by the Clark County Bar Association. Chris recently was a lecturer for the “Bridging the Gap” program sponsored by the Nevada State Bar Association for newly admitted attorneys in Nevada.
In early 2007 Chris accepted the post of Deputy Secretary of State for Southern Nevada, working closely with Secretary of State Ross Miller. As the Deputy Secretary of State, Chris oversees criminal investigations on senior investment fraud, mortgage related scams, watches out for consumer fraud, securities violations, corporate filing, insures the integrity of our elections, and leads investor education seminars.
Chris also serves as an Administrative Hearing Officer for security/investment related offenses and notary violations.
The example of hard work, dedication and commitment set by Chris's parents has inspired both Chris and his older brother. Both attended St. Anne's and graduated from Gorman High School. Chris's brother graduated from Stanford University and the Santa Clara Law School. While Chris chose criminal prosecution and public service, his brother has distinguished himself as a patent attorney in the Silicon Valley. Both brothers are happily married with kids.
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