Outside the Office
Richard is a Nashville native. He is a classically trained pianist and unofficial music historian with a collection of more than 1,500 vinyl records. Richard loves record shopping, listening to both old and new music, and attending concerts. He’s also a movie buff who’s seen every Best Picture winner, as well as every Nicolas Cage film.
Most of all, Richard enjoys spending time with his wife Lauren, as well as their two cats (Pimento and Rosé) and puppy (Lucy Dogus). Lauren and Richard love to go camping and have a goal of visiting every Tennessee state park together (they’re currently one-third of the way there), as well as every U.S. national park.
Richard and Lauren with their cats, Pimento (left) and Rosé (right), in their Halloween costumes.
Richard and Lauren hiking the Kolob Canyons district of Zion National Park.
Richard and Lauren paddleboarding Lake Tellico at Fort Loudon State Historic Area.
Richard and Lucy at the Richland Park Farmers Market.
Community Leadership
Richard serves on the board of Daybreak Arts (formerly Poverty and the Arts) and currently serves as the Treasurer on the Executive Board. He has also done extensive fundraising work for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as part of the organization’s Top 30 Under 30 in 2022. Richard volunteers with his church as well, most recently serving on the 150th Anniversary Committee.
In addition to his service to the community, Richard is also active in professional service. He serves on the board of the Young Lawyers Division of the Nashville Bar Association, chairing the Mock Trial Committee, which puts on the Davidson County High School Mock Trial Competition. Through this organization, Richard has also helped organize Nashville’s Arts Immersion event, a partnership between the Nashville Bar Association and the Nashville Arts & Business Council. Proceeds from the event fund pro bono legal services for the Nashville arts and entertainment community.
Richard also is active with his alma mater, Belmont University College of Law. He served as an attorney volunteer with the American Inns of Court at Belmont, where he mentored a group of law students. He also volunteers as a guest judge with the school’s moot court program. Recently, Richard has been serving as the Secretary on the Executive Committee for the newly formed Belmont University College of Law Alumni Council.