Background: Richard A. Rice, Jr.

United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

As an Assistant United States Attorney, Richard Rice was a federal prosecutor in the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) section. For five years, he investigated and prosecuted large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering organizations operating nationally and internationally. Richard Rice conducted some of the most extensive Title III (wiretap) investigations in the United States, and coordinated multi-jurisdictional and interagency investigations. Richard Rice also investigated and prosecuted the full spectrum of federal crimes, including public corruption, fraud schemes, firearm offenses, bank robberies, and internet crimes. He also prepared and argued numerous appeals before the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division

Washington, D.C.

As a Trial Attorney with the Special Litigation Section, Richard Rice assisted the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia with the prosecution of Zacarias Moussaoui, the “twelfth hijacker.” He also investigated and litigated civil enforcement actions against state and local police departments alleged to have engaged in a pattern of civil rights abuses and state and local detention facilities alleged to have had unconstitutional conditions of confinement.

Kirkland & Ellis, LLP

Washington, D.C.

Kirkland & Ellis is generally regarded as one of the premier litigation firms in the nation. As an attorney in the Washington, D.C. office, Richard Rice specialized in commercial litigation and products liability litigation, primarily representing Fortune 50 companies in complex and high-dollar civil matters. In one case, he served as the senior associate on the trial team defending an international company in a multi-billion dollar class action trial in federal court that resulted in a full defense verdict.

Hunton & Williams

Washington, D.C.

Hunton & Williams boasts over 1,000 attorneys in 19 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. As an attorney in the Washington, D.C. office, Richard Rice specialized in white collar criminal defense and commercial and environmental litigation. His work included successfully defeating a federal health care investigation – prior to indictment and without any publicity – and defending utility companies against Environmental Protection Agency enforcement actions under the New Source Review Provisions of the Clean Air Act before EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board.

United States Navy, Judge Advocate General’s Corps

San Diego, California, Washington, D.C.

As an officer in the Navy JAG Corps, Richard Rice achieved a stunning acquittal rate of over 80% in contested courts-martial. These results are more impressive given the fact that he tried more cases than any other defense counsel in the second largest military district. This success continued as Richard Rice next served as appellate defense counsel for defendants in the Navy and Marine Corps located throughout the world. For instance, Richard Rice appealed the conviction and sentence of a senior non-commissioned officer who had been sentenced to over twenty years in prison. The conviction and sentence were overturned and then the client was acquitted of all charges when the Government again prosecuted the Marine. Richard Rice obtained the rank of Lieutenant Commander and was awarded both the Navy and Marine Achievement Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for his work as a defense counsel.

Education

Richard Rice received his law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School, where he was the Managing Editor of the Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy, and was a White Scholar at the Thomas J. White Center on Law and Government. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia.