Judge Klein was sworn in as the 86th member of the Superior Court of PA on December 17, 2001. Klein spent 28 years on the Common Pleas bench, in Philadelphia County, before being elevated to his Appellate role.
Judge Klein was born in Philadelphia to Orphans’ Court Judge Charles Klein and Rosalie Benson Klein. He graduated from Amherst College in 1961 and Harvard Law School (with honors), in 1964. Prior to serving on the Philadelphia bench (where he was the youngest Judge to date), Klein worked in private practice and served as a Special Assistant Attorney General.
Klein was the first Judge to use a computer in Philadelphia and wrote numerous articles on technology, the law, and the Courts. He was a member of the Supreme Court’s Appellate Advocacy, Procedural Rules, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Jury selection, and has served as an educational leader for legal-study tours of numerous countries, including Vietnam, Egypt, Greece, China, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Chile, and Argentina. The Honorable Richard B. Klein retired from the Superior Court bench in 2007.
Judge Klein is co-author of Trial Communication Skills (with Julius Fast), has served as adjunct faculty at Temple’s Law School, and is an accomplished jazz drummer and bandleader.