OUR ATTORNEYS:
Betty Richardson was born and raised in Lewiston, Idaho, graduated magna cum laude in 1976 from the University of Idaho, where she was named an Outstanding Senior, and received her J.D. in 1982 from Hastings College of the Law, where she was named a Tony Patino Fellow. In addition to her membership in the Idaho and California State Bar Associations, Betty is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court of Idaho and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal.
Betty is the first woman to have served as Commissioner and Chair of the Idaho Industrial Commission (1991-1993) and as the United States Attorney for the District of Idaho (1993 – 2001). Now of counsel with Richardson and O’Leary, PLLC, Betty primarily focuses on matters pertaining to governmental affairs, public law, and legislation.
Previously, Betty was employed in private practice in Boise, Idaho, and worked as a judicial law clerk for Chief Judge B. Lynn Winmill, U.S. District Court, District of Idaho, for former Justice Robert C. Huntley, Jr. Idaho Supreme Court, and for the Criminal Division judges of the San Francisco Superior Court.
Long active in the legal education arena, Betty was a teaching assistant at Hasting College of the Law, has been a member of the Continuing Legal Education Committee of the Idaho Law Foundation, and has given presentations for the Foundation’s Law Related Education Committee. Betty has been an adjunct professor at Boise State University where she taught courses in American National Government, Family Law and Constitutional Law. Betty often speaks to civic groups on matters related to the U.S. Constitution and other law-related topics.
Betty is a member of the Federal Bar Association, the Idaho Women Lawyers, Inc., and the Idaho Legal Historical Society. She has served on the governing council of the Government and Public Lawyers Section of the Idaho State Bar, and on the Judges and Lawyers’ Representatives Committee, the Gender Fairness Committee, and the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee for the District of Idaho. Betty is a member of the board of directors for the Frank Church Institute, Idaho Partners against Domestic Violence, Drug Free Idaho, and the Tony Patino Fellowship.
Betty has received the Idaho State Bar’s Outstanding Service and Pro Bono Service awards. She also received the Idaho Women Lawyers’ Kate Feltham Award and the Harold Hughes Exceptional Service to Rural Communities Award from the National Institute on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Betty has been named an Outstanding Young Woman of America and one of the 100 most influential Idahoans (Ridenbaugh Press). She is listed in several Who’s Who publications.
Betty is married to Boise attorney Peter Richardson. She and Peter are the parents of two children: Jason, an attorney in San Francisco, California, and Catherine, a college sophomore.
Greg Adams
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