Mary Frances Richardson

Biography

Mary Frances Richardson is an Assistant Professor of Legal Writing at Suffolk University Law School where she teaches in the Legal Practice Skills Program.

Professor Richardson's scholarship focuses on legal writing pedagogy, criminal law, tax enforcement, and immigration law. She serves on the Adjunct Programs Committee of the Association of Legal Writing Directors and the Academic Support and Bar Preparation Committee of the Legal Writing Institute.

Prior to joining Suffolk, Professor Richardson taught Legal Research and Writing and Advanced Legal Analysis at New England Law | Boston. She previously served as a Trial Attorney in the Criminal Enforcement Section of the United States Department of Justice's Tax Division, where she investigated and prosecuted complex federal criminal cases involving tax offenses, financial fraud, identity theft, and related crimes. Before joining the Department of Justice, she clerked for Chief Judge Wilma A. Lewis of the District Court of the Virgin Islands.

Selected Publications

Articles

• Teaching Judgment in the Face of Uncertainty, 39:2 THE SECOND DRAFT (forthcoming 2026).
• Teaching the Practice of Academic Freedom in the Legal Writing Classroom, AALS Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research Newsletter, Spring/Summer 2026, at 16-17.
• Why the Categorical Approach Should Not Be Used When Determining Whether an Offense Is a Crime of Violence Under the Residual Clause of 18 U.S.C. S 924(c), 67 AM. U. L. REV. 1989 (2018).

Media

• Law School Toolbox Podcast, “5 Tips for Keeping Your Legal Writing Organized," Parts 1 & 2, Episodes 545–546 (Spotify, Mar. 2 & 9, 2026).

Bar Admittance

Education

• American University Washington College of Law – Washington, D.C. Juris Doctor (2016–2019) summa cum laude; Order of the Coif
• Fordham University – Bronx, New York Bachelor of Arts in Sociology (2011–2015)