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Richard Lee Settle, one of Seattle University School of Law’s founding full-time faculty members and a revered lawyer, pioneering law professor, influential legal author, deeply devoted father, and loyal friend, passed away peacefully at his home in Grapeview, Washington, on July 23, 2025. He was 83 years old.
Born on June 16, 1942, in Omaha, Nebraska, Settle moved with his family to Seattle as a young child and made the Pacific Northwest his lifelong home. His decades-long career left a lasting imprint on Washington State's legal landscape, particularly in the areas of environmental and land use law.
After receiving a JD and BA from the University of Washington, Settle became a founding member of the University of Puget Sound School of Law in 1972, when our progenitor institution was founded. Settle was a gifted scholar and teacher, and a widely renowned expert in environmental law, land use, and zoning who mentored and taught generations of law students. He was a gifted educator, remembered for his sharp intellect, generous spirit, and ability to bring clarity and purpose to difficult legal concepts. In 2001, he was granted emeritus status from Seattle U Law.
Settle was a sought-after expert practitioner, serving as of counsel at leading Seattle law firm Foster Garvey and past chair of the Washington State Bar Association's Environmental and Land Use Section. Settle was known for his integrity and principled approach to complex legal issues, and his contributions helped shape major legal frameworks and policies across the state. He was so well-respected in practice that he was recognized repeatedly with the Super Lawyer distinction by Thomson Reuters. He authored “The Washington State Environmental Policy Act: A Legal and Policy Analysis” and “Washington Land Use and Environmental Law and Practice,” along with numerous articles and book chapters over the course of his career. His published works on environmental and land use law continue to serve as essential resources for attorneys and policymakers throughout the region.
Former Seattle U Law Dean James Bond described him a “model professor, combining expert knowledge, practical experience, and theoretical knowledge with the gifts of a natural teacher.”
Settle and his family enjoyed traveling, especially to the Mediterranean region, as well as gardening, cooking, fishing, golfing, and taking waterfront walks at their beloved Grapeview property. He was preceded in death by his cherished wife and the love of his life, Trish Settle. Together, they shared a life full of joy, travel, friendship, and laughter. He is survived by his daughters Courtney Dodson (Sean) and Dana Settle (Andrew Paquin), his grandchildren Parker Dodson, Delaney Dodson, Maximilian Paquin, and Alexander Paquin, his beloved sister, Ann Wesche (Ken), his nephew, Burt Wesche, his niece, Laura Wesche (Trevor Salter), his stepsons Pat Heily (Sunday) and Andy Heily (Courtney), and his first wife and the mother of his children, Linda Bratrud.
In lieu of flowers, Settle’s family requests that donations be made to Seattle U Law’s Environmental Law Program or to a conservation organization supporting the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest.
You can learn more about Settle’s life and family from his personal obituary.
