Author’s Bio

J.K. Richards (J.K.) is a long-time and current practicing attorney. He is the founder and managing partner of his law firm, and he is an experienced litigation attorney including (among other areas of law) criminal defense, where he handles among the most serious of crimes. As an experienced criminal defense attorney, J.K. is intimately familiar with reviewing, assessing, analyzing, re-assessing, and re-analyzing evidence again, and again. This experience and perspective is what J.K. hopes to offer and bring to you, the audience. 

From both his past and current work, J.K. is an experienced business executive. In the non-legal corporate world, J.K.’s experience comes specifically from the medical and healthcare field, which is helpful when assessing and analyzing medically related evidence. In the past, J.K. worked as general legal counsel for significant hospital and healthcare facilities and, later, J.K. worked as the chief executive officer over hospitals and attached nursing home facilities. 

J.K. is licensed as an attorney in several states, and he is eligible for licensing (as a solicitor) in the United Kingdom, where he previously lived for several years. 

In his younger years, and in a desire to follow in the footsteps of both his grandfathers (much to the chagrin of his mother), J.K. joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17 (requiring his parent’s permission). J.K. chose to enlist as an Infantryman (11 Bravo & 13 Charlie MOS’s) in the U.S. Army, requiring attendance at enlisted Basic Training, upon graduating from high school (as part of the U.S. military’s delayed entry program). However, J.K.’s educational performance and college entrance exam scores, lead to J.K. being offered admission to a U.S. military (Army) academy, which automatically negated his enlistment, under the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice). As a result of this, and instead of attending enlisted Basic Training, J.K. attended pre-academy officer Basic Training immediately following high school graduation. During this training, J.K. was selected as the cadet platoon commander for his platoon and, later, as the cadet company commander over his entire company, during this training. During this training and, partially due to his leadership, J.K.’s platoon (the “Rough Riders”) won nearly every competition among and between all the platoons, companies, and battalions. This included and comprised approximately 2,500 to 3,500 cadets. At the conclusion of pre-academy training, J.K.’s platoon was awarded top platoon (among all platoons), his company was awarded top company (among all companies), and his battalion won top battalion (among all battalions). In large measure, this was due to the stellar performance of the Rough Riders. 

Both of J.K.’s grandfathers were decorated U.S. military war heroes: Paternal Grandfather (Cleon) – U.S. Navy during WWII – where he designed, improved, and repaired (then) highly top secret radar systems; Maternal Grandfather (Don) – U.S. Army during the Korean War – where he served as a Gunnery Sergeant (Sergeant First Class) in the U.S. Army, in large caliber artillery units. Cleon (Paternal Grandfather) was stationed at Pearl Harbor around the time of the Japanese bombing at Pearl Harbor, and Don (Maternal Grandfather) served on and near the front lines of the Korean War, during which he was offered between 7 and 9 (our family is uncertain exactly how many) war-time field officer commissions (to promote him from enlisted personnel to being a commissioned officer). This was due to his tremendous bravery, his ability to connect with and inspire his soldiers, his artillery competency, and his leadership. He turned down all of the war-time battlefield officer commissions so that he could remain with and protect his troops from incompetent leadership, which he believed would replace him if he accepted any of these rare offered promotions. 

J.K. obtained his Juris Doctorate and MBA degrees from Case Western Reserve University (a top 50, tier 1 U.S. law school, and a top 30 MBA program – at the time of graduation). 

During his time at Case Western Reserve University, J.K. was elected and served as the President of two separate, large, national legal (law school) fraternities. J.K. was awarded the highest award and honor possible for his legal doctoral dissertation, among his law school class. J.K. also separately won 1st place in both his law school public speaking competition, and in his MBA program’s public speaking competition. During this same time, J.K. simultaneously completed dual graduate degrees (JD & MBA). Finally, J.K. also served as a member of the international student governing board for the J. Reuben Clark Law Society, and he clerked for a private law firm, whereat he headed up the firm’s pleading practice (i.e., being primarily responsible for managing and drafting all of the firm’s responsive court pleadings). During his tenure in this role, that firm never lost a litigation motion. J.K. also served as the executive director and as a lead editor for the law school’s legal journal, he worked in a law school legal clinic (where he represented indigent clients) as the 1st chair attorney in his cases, and he served in ministerial capacities in his church. J.K. graduated Beta Gamma Sigma (i.e., top 5%) in his graduate school class. 

While pursuing his Baccalaureate degree in political science and business administration, J.K. ran for and won elected political office at the state and county levels. During the same time, J.K. founded an educational fund, through which he raised and provided approximately $28,000 (in cash & in-kind donations) to help underprivileged students from third-world countries travel to and obtain their educations at colleges and universities in first world countries. 

J.K. was integrally involved in partnering a federally qualified health center and Native American tribally designated entity with a critical access hospital, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (U.S. HUD), two (historically warring) sovereign Native American tribes (the Navajo Nation and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe), private lending institutions, and private investors. According to U.S. HUD and the U.S. DOJ, this represented the first such partnering—ever—between those types of entities, in U.S. history. J.K. later handled many of the legal aspects of a merger and acquisition between his client-employer and the hospital. 

J.K. previously drafted and presented a $375 Million (annual) proposal to Utah State’s U.S. congressional delegation, which (at the request of federal legislators) outlined a plan and legal avenue for J.K.’s employer to take over trusteeship, from Utah State, for the Utah Navajo Trust Fund (“UNTF”). J.K.’s employer (a 501(c)3 non-profit healthcare company) designated as a “tribal entity”—enabled “pass-through” Medicaid funding to be provided, as well as the ability to handle U.S. federal funds designated for tribal Native American “Self Determination,” pursuant to U.S. Public Law 93-638 (the “Self Determination Act”). The need for this proposal arose after Utah State announced it was no longer willing to serve as the trustee for the UNTF. Pursuant to long-standing federal legislation which created the UNTF, it was legally required for the UNTF to have a trustee, in order to maintain and administer its funds for the benefit of Navajo people living in Utah State. Pursuant to the same long-standing federal legislation, the UNTF was and is responsible to manage 37.5% of all oil and gas royalties and profits produced from federal lands on the Utah portion of the Navajo Nation Reservation. This percentage generally equates to approximately $375 Million, each year. Pursuant to the federal laws creating the UNTF, those funds are required to be used for economic development and for the benefit of Navajo peoples living on the Aneth Extension. 

J.K.’s legislative proposal was accepted by the federal congressional delegation and was slated to be placed into draft federal legislation. The proposal and plan required complex and intricate planning, as well as corporate restructuring. The intent and legal result of the plan and proposal was: successfully maintaining J.K.’s employer’s 501(c)3 non-profit and non-taxable status, housing both the healthcare company and the trusteeship for the UNTF within a single corporate entity (a requirement of the original federal legislation)—while simultaneously entirely segregating the risks and liabilities of the UNTF and the healthcare divisions, so that neither could be held legally liable or responsible for the other’s operations, debts, or obligations. After obtaining approval from the company’s governing board, the U.S. DOJ attorneys confirmed that J.K.’s legislative proposal would successfully achieve all of these necessary objectives and legal requirements. 

Outside the practice of law, J.K. enjoys serving his community in civic capacities. J.K. was first elected to political office in 2002 while still completing his undergraduate coursework. J.K. has served as the board chairman for a community development corporation, as a board member on a city planning and zoning commission, and as a university adjunct professor in business law. In the past, J.K. served in his church as the lead outreach minister to people not of the same faith, as the lead adult doctrinal teacher in his church, and, multiple times, he has served as the head youth minister. Finally, J.K. has enjoyed volunteering with the YMCA as a head youth basketball coach. 

Above all else, J.K. enjoys spending time with his children, attending their various sporting events, and remaining active in his fraternal and philanthropic activities. J.K. is a Master Mason within the fraternity of Freemasonry, and he is a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Master Mason (within Scottish Rite Freemasonry) & a Knight Templar (within York Rite Freemasonry). J.K. is also a “Past Master” (former elected and past serving President) of his Masonic lodge.