As She Transitions Off the Board, a Tribute to Betty Richardson

Few people embody the spirit and history of the Tony Patiño Fellowship as fully as Betty Richardson, who will transition off the Board of Directors this year.

Her remarkable legal career has been defined by leadership, public service, and breaking new ground for women in the profession. Nominated by Governor Cecil Andrus and confirmed by the Idaho State Senate, Betty became the first woman to serve as both Commissioner and Chairwoman of the Idaho Industrial Commission. Later she was nominated by President Bill Clinton and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate and became the first woman to serve as United States Attorney for Idaho, a position she served in for seven years. Betty also served as an attorney-advisor for the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys in Washington, D.C., during the Obama Administration. She has been an adjunct professor at Concordia University School of Law and Boise State University.

In 2020, Betty co-founded Idaho Women Forward, a grassroots community of nearly 20,000 Idaho women – Democrats, Republicans and Unaffiliated – that she continues to lead. The group hosts events, encourages outreach to communities and the media, and issues calls to action in support of candidates, organizations, and legislation that align with the group’s stated aims to “support the U.S. and Idaho Constitutions, honor the rule of law, and aspire to make liberty and justice a reality for all.”

Betty was one of the first Fellows and had a close relationship with founder Francesca Turner. Reflecting on her many conversations with Francesca, Betty recalls the Fellowship founder’s unwavering belief that the Fellowship should be much more than a scholarship. “Francesca repeatedly emphasized her intention that Fellows create a community of leaders – lawyers of character who shared a commitment to using their legal training in public service.”

Betty has embodied Francesca’s vision with her decades of service to this Fellowship community and far beyond. As she prepares to transition from the Board of Directors, we asked Betty to describe some of her memories of the Fellowship. Below are her reflections.

Is there a moment or experience with Fellows that stands out to you?

Every Tony Patiño Fellow remembers their interview, and I am no exception.  I was interviewed by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg, California Supreme Court Justice Ray Sullivan, New York City lawyer Jim McGarry, Professor Jerome Hall, and Universal Studios Vice President Harry Tatelman, who was Francesca’s indispensable partner in building the Fellowship. That day I also met Jay Wardwell and Kathy Matayoshi, my wonderful co-Fellows who sustained me through the rigors of law school.

What has the Fellowship community meant to you personally?

For many years, I served not only on the Board, but on the Selection Committee. This allowed me to get acquainted with the law students who will carry on the values and traditions of the Fellowship. As we gather each year to identify new Fellows-Elect and celebrate graduating Fellows, I am reminded of my own journey in the law. I always experience a sense of great optimism for the future and find renewed inspiration in these words: “Be a leader of mankind in all that is honorable, just and compassionate.”

What do you hope the Fellowship continues to prioritize in the years ahead?

In the years to come, I hope the Fellowship will prioritize maintaining collegiality among board members; that has been a hallmark of our success. I would also hope that the Board will look for more opportunities to facilitate professional and personal connections among Fellows and Fellows-Elect.

Betty is pictured with her husband, Peter. 

 

Betty is pictured at far left with other Fellows, Fellowship founder Francesca Turner, and Henry Tatelman.