Richard Licht at a glance
- Current role
- Associate Justice
- Jurisdiction
- Rhode Island · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Richard Licht
Associate Justice · Rhode Island Superior Court
Biography
Professional career
- In 2017, he was assigned to the Business Calendar, a specialized business court track As of 2025, he also oversees the mass tort calendar for clergy abuse litigation in Rhode Island, a role created under an administrative order by retired Presiding Justice Alice Gibney.
- Appointments: Named Superior Court judge in 2014 by Gov
- Richard A. Licht is described as a Rhode Island Superior Court associate justice, appointed by Governor Lincoln Chafee May 22, 2014
- Richard A. Licht is an Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court, appointed by former Governor Lincoln Chafee in 2014, with a long background in politics, law, and public service
- in the Rhode Island Senate (1973–1984), as lieutenant governor (1985–1989), on the Board of Governors for Higher Education (1991–1997, among them chairman), and as Administration Department director (2011–2014)
- Rhode Island Chief Justice Thomas Roberts — law clerk (1973–1974)
- Corporate and real-estate practice included Letts, Quinn & Licht, Licht & Semonoff and Tillinghast Licht, Rhode Island Airport Corporation general counsel, Providence Place developers and supermarket divestiture work
Education
- Taxation, Boston University — LL.M. (1975)
- Harvard Law School — J.D. (1972)
- Economics, Harvard College, cum laude — B.A. (1968)
- AB — Harvard College — Harvard College, AB; bio-3a48d48346ba; user_supplied_research
- JD — Harvard Law School — Harvard Law School, JD; bio-3a48d48346ba; user_supplied_research
- LLM — Boston University Law School — Boston University Law School, LLM; bio-3a48d48346ba; user_supplied_research
- Educational background includes Harvard College — B.A.
Additional information
- Reported court calendars include Providence trial, Kugel Mesh, opioid, municipal tax and Business Calendar (from 2017).
- Ethics scrutiny: His 2014 appointment drew criticism for allegedly violating the state’s “revolving door” rule, as he moved from Chafee’s administration to the court without a year’s cooling-off period
- Professional/public-service history also includes unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaigns in 1988 and 2000 and legislative work on parental leave, domestic violence, small business and open space.
- Licht has presided over multiple specialized calendars, including the Trial Calendar in Providence County, the Kugel Mesh, Opioid, and Municipal Tax Calendars.
- Current legal matters: He is hearing motions from former Speaker Joseph Shekarchi to block an ongoing Ethics Commission investigation into Shekarchi’s attempted Supreme Court appointment
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Cell Phone Use
Courtwide
Rhode Island Supreme Court courthouse rules prohibit cellular telephone use in courtrooms and prohibit cell-phone camera and video use in the courthouse.
Cellular telephone use is strictly prohibited in the courtrooms. Cellular telephone camera and video is strictly prohibited in the courthouse.Supreme Court Courthouse Rules ↗
Recording and broadcasting
Courtwide
Rhode Island courthouse rules list photographic and audio-visual equipment, including cameras and audio or video recorders, as prohibited items.
No photographic or audio-visual equipment of any type, including cameras, video, or audio recorders or players.Supreme Court Courthouse Rules ↗
Sources
Identity source checked July 26, 2026.
Biography sources checked July 26, 2026.
Rhode Island Judiciary official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Rhode Island Judiciary official judicial roster ↗Calendars and Public Access to Court Hearings
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Calendars and Public Access to Court Hearings ↗Supreme Court Courthouse Rules
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Supreme Court Courthouse Rules ↗Supreme Court Courthouse Rules, revised February 2024
Identity source · PDF · Source checked October 3, 2026
View Supreme Court Courthouse Rules, revised February 2024 ↗