Yes...depending
Alignment causes a lot of arguments around the D&D community. There are a pair of rock-solid methods: the Sanctify the Wicked spell, and the redemption rules, both of them found in the Book of Exalted Deeds. The BoED can be a controversial book in some groups, but those rules are a definite method of getting the lich back on the straight and narrow.
And then we get to the less-clear part.
D&D's alignment system can be inconsistent at times. Some sources say alignment is about action; other sources imply that it's about the intent behind an action. There's elements of belief systems and thought patterns in alignment too, which complicates the matter further. The Player's Handbook says alignment is supposed to be a guide; other sources treat it like a straightjacket. All of this makes the question, "Could this lich seek redemption on his own?" extremely difficult to answer.
I am inclined to say yes, no being is past redemption. The idea that any being with free will, down to the most vile and wretched demons, can find redemption is the cornerstone of how the Good alignment treats others. Celestials and fiends are polarized by these opposite beliefs - that any being is capable of redemption (even if it's not) in the case of celestials, and that no being is above corruption (even if it is) in the case of fiends. While an argument could theoretically be made that fiends are past redemption (an argument that's riddled with holes - there are canonical examples of non-evil fiends), the lich you're discussing is a mortal, born, living, and now undead with full control of their own free will. If they have a reason to turn from evil - even if that reason is weariness, or a craving for acceptance - then I don't see a reason that they can't, especially if it makes a good story.
As for true death, there's a few avenues for that - the easiest is for the lich to smash his phylactery, then kill himself. However, there is another option - regaining mortality. Resurrection and True Resurrection can both return an undead being to true life, and by RAW you don't even need to break the phylactery. The lich would be mortal once again, but would be able to live out the rest of their natural years and then die in peace.
As to the greater question of if their act of unspeakable evil to become a lich can be forgiven...in the spiritual sense, the Book of Exalted Deeds states that no being is beyond forgiveness if they truly seek to repent - at least, not in the eyes of the forces of planar Good and the gods of that alignment. Forgiveness from the lich's victims is another matter entirely.
A Note for Pathfinder Games
Pathfinder's alignment system is essentially just 3.5s; however, the developer's attitude towards it tends to be more consistent. Sean K. Reynolds, Jason Buhlman and the various Pathfinder writers gleefully embrace fantasy racism and the idea that a being or being(s) can be born irredeemably evil. That doesn't have to affect how you run your game, but tread lightly in Pathfinder Soceity games.
A necromancer (wizard) has no way, using his own powers, to create vampires without controlling a vampire or becoming a vampire himself. There are no spells or special abilities that will allow them to. With two exceptions:
Followers of Zura, the Vampire Queen, have a Demonic Obedience that allows the faithful to apply the vampire template on himself on demand once per day, it has a short duration (1d6+cha rounds) but there is no limitation on what abilities of the vampire template are available or not.
3: Vampirism (Su) Once per day, you may infuse yourself with the qualities of a vampire. Apply the vampire template to yourself for the duration of this effect, which lasts for 1d6 rounds plus an additional number of rounds equal to your Charisma bonus. When the effect ends, you are staggered for 1d4 rounds. If you are already a vampire, you gain the advanced template for the duration of this effect.
Even for non-divine casters, all you have to do is to follow the goddess and obtain the feat Demonic Obedience (from the Book of the Damned). This ability will become available at 20th level even if you are not a divine caster. Alternatively, the character can take levels on the Demoniac prestige class, that will grant this boon at 9th level (or about the 16th character level), and this class can be taken by any character, even those who are not spellcasters.
There is also an artifact, The Totemrix, that can create vampires without requiring the victim to first be bitten by another vampire.
Best Answer
The "correct" answer for high level 3.5 D&D play is that main Villains worth their salt will have access to a dedicated caster, if only via the Leadership feat. That caster, among other things, should have access to Craft Contingent Spell (CA p77). The villain should have an emergency escape button set to trigger whenever the party successfully implements scry & die tactics. Any plan that requires the villain to last more than a round when the party teleports in is a bad plan.
Given that we have a high level cleric who disdains time stopped gates gating in devils to crush their enemies, and who doesn't have access to psionics, and who doesn't feel like instant winning via Ruby Knight vindicator, the cleric can use miracle to manifest fission. Those fissioned clerics can then miracle (again), body outside body (Complete arcane), to have a coterie of 4 rather narcissistic guards each.
However, it's always worth having a backup backup contingent spell here. I recommend Summon Monster IX (with appropriate metamagics) crafted into a contingent form. This should be designed to summon (if you can meta-magic it) 1d3 (more! much more!) Malephants or a Bebelith Demon without metamagic. The "emergency duplication thing" is surprisingly hard to achieve on a short time frame.
If that sort of "everywhere on the battlefield at once" is a requirement of the character, the Ruby Knight Windicator combined with a way of leaving images of yourself behind. (Mostly worthless, as we'll expect the party to have true seeing at this point.).
Or, if one merely wants to summon backup, your pet caster can combine the spell Ice Assassin (Frostburn) which creates an exact duplicate of the target (with an unfortunate desire to slay the original) with Necrotic Cyst and Necrotic Domination (Libris Mortis) to provide absolutely dominated and loyal versions of the big bad. (Obviously, the big bad will have this pet caster under some sort of domination herself, else the pet caster becomes the big bad, and the current big bad is merely a figurehead.) Then, these absolutely loyal ice assassins can wait (playing poker) until they're summoned. Assuming that the villain avoids surprise, they can use a contingent celerity (PHII) to take a standard action, and summon clone Alpha, who can then repeat the process until the entire compliment of clones is available. Judicious use of short range teleports and contingent veils should make it somewhat difficult to figure out the original in the giant shell game that this will result in.