He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Xavier University, Cincinnati and a Juris Doctor from Notre Dame Law School where he was an editor of the Law Review.
He was nominated by President Reagan and unanimously confirmed by a voice vote of the US Senate.
[1] On April 8, 1986, Lechner was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey vacated by Judge Frederick Bernard Lacey.
[1] Lechner was hired in November 2015 as the President and CEO of the Cause of Action Institute, which is engaged in activities similar to those of the more well-known Judicial Watch.
Lechner was in the news due to Cause of Action's Freedom on Information Act litigation brought with respect to the July, 2016 shooting of police in Dallas, Texas.