Professor Richard L. Settle passed away this July, shortly after his 83rd birthday.
Dick was the first professor and assisted in the formation of the Seattle University School of Law in 1972 (formerly the University of Puget Sound). He retired from that position as Professor Emeritus and continued to practice law.
First with its predecessor firms of Roberts & Shefelman, then Foster Pepper & Shefelman and Foster Pepper, Dick practiced land use and real estate law with Foster Garvey since 1986.
Dick was the recognized expert in Washington land use and environmental law. His treatises The Washington State Environmental Policy Act: A Legal and Policy Analysis (first published in 1987 and currently being updated by Foster Garvey lawyer Joe Brogan), and Washington Land Use and Environmental Law and Practice (published in 1983), together with many law review articles were cited regularly by our courts, and serve as guiding research tools for lawyers throughout the northwest. He was selfless in his mentoring of his colleagues, students, and others on complicated issues under SEPA, the Growth Management Act, Land Use Petition Act, and others.
A graduate of Seattle Prep, Stanford, and UW Law School, Dick will be remembered for his wit and wisdom beyond the law. He loved boating, fishing, wine, and all that Washington offers.
He is survived by his daughters Courtney and Dana, grandchildren, and many friends.
