About Richard E
Richard E Damon built a career that moves from academic study into steady private practice. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University and earned law degrees from the College of William and Mary and Stanford University. Those academic credentials set the tone for a legal life that began in the late 1970s and has continued for decades.
Early in his career he worked as an associate at Lillick, McHose & Charles. That position followed law school and preceded a short stint on the bench side of things. In 1978 he served as a law clerk to the Chief Justice of the High Court of American Samoa. The clerkship added an unusual jurisdictional experience to a resume otherwise centered on U.S. mainland practice.
By 1980 he established his own office, forming Richard E. Damon, PC. He has maintained that private practice since then. Over the years his work has remained rooted in California, the jurisdiction in which he is licensed to practice. Running a solo or small-firm operation allowed him to develop a varied caseload and to manage the business side of law as well as the substantive work.
Damon’s background combines academic research and practical courtroom experience. A doctorate in political science suggests an early interest in institutions and governance. The move into law introduced the everyday tasks of counseling clients, drafting pleadings, and handling negotiations. He has also held a commercial pilot certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, an unusual professional qualification that speaks to interests outside the law.
Colleagues and clients have noted the steadiness of a practitioner who has been in private practice for many years. His path—from associate, to clerk, to firm owner—is a common one, but his combination of an advanced academic degree and long-term solo practice is less typical. He has worked across different legal settings and maintained a practice in California since founding his firm.
Now in practice at Richard E. Damon, PC, he operates a private practice in California handling client matters from his firm office. He currently focuses his work on serving clients through his California-based practice.
