For more than 49 years, Robert L. Risley has advocated individual and company cases. At first, these causes were personal -- divorces and custody disputes, probate, personal injury claims, individual bankruptcy, and criminal defense. Soon thereafter, however, Bob began representing Sears, Roebuck, and company -- an association that was to last almost ten years -- in thousands of cases, and gradually began slanting his practice toward business litigation.

During this period, he represented a number of banks, serving as fiduciaries. He also handled several major lawsuits for companies and individuals against banks on claims of false and fraudulent appraisals and other irregularities. In recent years, his experience includes defending physicians charged with malpractice. Bob has tried a number of cases to successful conclusion in the business, trademark infrigment, and medical malpractice area.

During the same years, he served as assistant staff judge advocate with the U.S. Air Force at the Space and Missle Systems Organization, working in government contracts & related areas. Bob graduated from Occidental college in 1956 and UCLA Law School in 1963. In addition to his legal duties, Bob has authored the Death with Dignity Initiative, which was on California's ballot in 1992. In 1986 he founded American Against Human Suffering, a national organization dedicated to legal change allowing competent, terminally ill patients the right to request and receive physician aid in dying. He has also written two books -- A Humane and Dignified Death, and Death with Dignity: A New Law -- on the right-to-die issue advocating an individual's right to freedom of choice at life's end.

From 1984 through 1996 his practice and firm of 5 lawyers focused on Defense of Doctors charged with medical malpractice.  These cases involved nearly all areas of medical speciality.  Trials in these "med-mal" cases were frequent and often lengthy. 

He is now involved in estate and business planning, as well as business and real estate litigation.