Richard S. Kling

Richard S. Kling is a Clinical Professor of Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, where he has served since 1981. He holds a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Before academia, he worked at the Cook County Public Defender's Office (1976–1981), specializing in homicide cases, and later joined the Special Homicide Task Force. His expertise includes criminal defense, evidence, forensic sciences, and professional responsibility. He teaches courses on Evidence, Forensic Sciences, and Professional Responsibility, and lectures on Illinois Rules of Evidence for lawyers and judges. Kling

• Authored Illinois Criminal Defense Motions, a manual for criminal defense practitioners.
• Co-edited a three-volume training manual for the Cook County Public Defender.
• Serves as a professor-reporter for the Illinois Supreme Court’s Capital Case Committee.

His research interests focus on criminal procedure, trial advocacy, and legal ethics. Media frequently cite him for insights on high-profile cases and criminal justice issues (e.g., ABC7 Chicago, CBS2 Chicago, Chicago Tribune). He remains active in criminal litigation nationwide.

Professional affiliations include the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, Illinois Defender Project, and CLE programs for bar associations. He has no listed grants or future works in the text.