Richard D. Bennett

Richard D. Bennett (born August 12, 1947) is a United States Senior District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. Born in Maryland, Bennett is a graduate of Severn School, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. He previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney and the United States Attorney for Maryland, and was awarded multiple commendations for his service. In private practice, Bennett was a partner in a major Maryland law firm, where he specialized in white collar criminal defense, and was recognized by a respected national publication as one of the "Best Lawyers in America." Appointed to the federal bench in 2003, he took senior status in 2021. While maintaining an active trial docket in the District of Maryland, Bennett has increasingly been sitting by designation with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Education and Career Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Bennett grew up in Severna Park near Annapolis, and attended Severn School. In 1969, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in Political Science with a study in the Russian language. At Penn, he was selected to the Sphinx Senior Honor Society, one of the oldest societies at the University, and was elected as one of four officers for his graduating class. Following a period of military service, Bennett returned home to Maryland, and pursued the practice of law. In 1973, he received a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law, where he served as a member of the Maryland Law Review and won academic awards. In 1976, Bennett was appointed to serve as an Assistant United States Attorney of the District of Maryland. He remained in that position until 1981, when he returned to private practice. In 1991, Bennett was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate as the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland. In that position he received the Outstanding Service Award from the Maryland State’s Attorneys Association, and an award from the Governor of Maryland for outstanding contributions in the field of victim rights.