Hon. Richard K. Renn (Ret.) was a judge for the York County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. He joined the bench in 1998. Renn retired on January 31, 2020.
During his judicial tenure, he presided as the administrative judge in family law cases in York County (2002 to 2006) and was named president judge of the York County Common Pleas (2006 to 2011). In addition, he heard civil motions and presided over civil trials as well as criminal cases.
Renn received a B.A. in political science from Susquehanna University in 1973. He went on to complete a J.D. at the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1976.
After graduating from law school, Renn worked for a time as an associate in a law firm in York before establishing his own solo practice there in 1979. Then, in 1983, he joined fellow attorney, Gary L. Snyder, in forming a law partnership, where he remained until joining the bench in 1998. As an attorney, his general law practice eventually transitioned into representing clients accused of crimes in state and federal courts.
Renn sat on the Board of Directors of the York County Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and was a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
Renn was also a founding member of The Bar Stools, comprised of lawyers who perform musicals poking fun at the legal profession and politicians.
He has served as a lecturer on the subjects of criminal, family law, and civil litigation matters for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and on civil trial matters for the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Civil Litigation section. Additionally, Renn acted as a lecturer for the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the York County Bar Association, and the Pennsylvania State Conference of Trial Judges.
In his free time, Renn enjoys cars, model trains, and travel.