Richard J. Hess, Class of 1969

Lifelong legal aid attorney

Now retired, Richard Hess spent his entire career as a public interest law attorney, including more than thirty years with the Legal Assistance Foundation (LAF). He joined LAF in 1974 as a staff attorney in the Woodlawn office and was promoted to Supervisory Attorney in 1974, directing the legal work of attorneys under his supervision and representing clients in a variety of matters.  From 1980 to 2011, he also served as the Director of Training and Labor Relations, responsible for managing in-house and collaborative training, administering continuing legal education programs offered by LAF and directing all phases of labor relations. From 1999 to 2011, Hess also served as the Managing Attorney for LAF’s Private Attorney Project, which involved private attorneys in the delivery of legal services to the poor. In 2011, Hess took over as Chief Operations Officer for LAF, taking on responsibility for all administrative functions of the organization. He received an Equal Justice Award in 1992.