Professor Richards received a B.A. with honors from the University of Utah in 1981, and a J.D. from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law in 1984, where he served on the Utah Law Review and was a member of Order of the Coif. Upon graduating from the College of Law, Professor Richards clerked for The Honorable Stephen H. Anderson, 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Before joining the faculty at the College of Law in 1996, Professor Richards served as Vice President and Assistant Counsel for KeyCorp and as Assistant Utah Attorney General. He also was a shareholder with the Salt Lake City firm of Van Cott, Bagley, Cornwall & McCarthy, where he specialized in the areas of natural resource and environmental law, commercial litigation, and bankruptcy. Professor Richards taught Legal Methods, Legal Profession, Document Drafting, Lawyering Skills, and Pretrial Practice.
Professor Emeritus, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, 2021. J.D., University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law (1984). Law Clerk to the Honorable Stephen H. Anderson, U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge (1985-1986). Vice President and Assistant Counsel, KeyCorp (1994-1996). Assistant Utah Attorney General (1991-1994). Shareholder, Van Cott, Bagley, Cornwall & McCarthy (1984-1985; 1986-1991). Professor (Clinical), University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law (1996-2021).