{
 "id": "epr2f32nyf",
 "slug": "richard-a-schell",
 "title": "Richard A. Schell",
 "updated": "2026-10-15",
 "topic_path": [
  {
   "id": "society",
   "label": "Society and history",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society"
  },
  {
   "id": "society.law",
   "label": "Law and justice",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law"
  },
  {
   "id": "society.law.practice",
   "label": "Courts and legal practice",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice"
  },
  {
   "id": "society.law.practice.people",
   "label": "Legal biographies",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people"
  },
  {
   "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us",
   "label": "United States judges",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us"
  },
  {
   "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal",
   "label": "US federal judges",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal"
  },
  {
   "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3",
   "label": "Article III judges (district and appellate)",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3"
  },
  {
   "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges",
   "label": "United States district court judges",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges"
  },
  {
   "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-q-to-sc",
   "label": "Surnames Q to Sc",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-q-to-sc"
  }
 ],
 "geo": [
  {
   "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-q-to-sc",
   "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Surnames Q to Sc",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-q-to-sc",
   "path": [
    {
     "id": "geo.us",
     "label": "United States",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021",
     "label": "United States · 2021 and later",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021.society",
     "label": "Society and history",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law",
     "label": "Law and justice",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice",
     "label": "Courts and legal practice",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people",
     "label": "Legal biographies",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us",
     "label": "United States judges",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal",
     "label": "US federal judges",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges",
     "label": "United States district court judges",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-q-to-sc",
     "label": "Surnames Q to Sc",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-q-to-sc"
    }
   ]
  }
 ],
 "excerpt": "Richard A. Schell (born 1950) is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge for the Eastern District of Texas since 1988, appointed by President Ronald Reagan and chief judge from 1994 to 2001.",
 "snippet": "Richard A. Schell (born 1950) is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge for the Eastern District of Texas since 1988, appointed by President Ronald Reagan and chief judge from 1994 to 2001.",
 "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-q-to-sc",
 "markdown": "# Richard A. Schell\n\nRichard A. Schell (born 1950) is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas since 1988.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup> He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan and served as chief judge of the court from 1994 to 2001.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup> He assumed senior status on March 10, 2015.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup>\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Court | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup> |\n| Appointed by | Ronald Reagan<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup> |\n| Confirmed | May 27, 1988, by voice vote<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup> |\n| Senior status | March 10, 2015<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup> |\n| Born | 1950 in Dallas, Texas<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup> |\n| Education | B.A., Southern Methodist University, 1972; J.D., Southern Methodist University School of Law (now Dedman School of Law), 1975<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup> |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nSchell was born in 1950 in Dallas, Texas.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup> He received a [Bachelor of Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-arts) degree from [Southern Methodist University](https://www.edgepedia.org/southern-methodist-university) in 1972 and a [Juris Doctor](https://www.edgepedia.org/juris-doctor) from Southern Methodist University School of Law, now the Dedman School of Law, in 1975.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup>\n\n## Legal career\n\nAfter graduating from law school, Schell was an instructor at Southern Methodist University Law School from 1975 to 1976.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup> He then served as an assistant district attorney for [Collin County, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/collin-county-texas), in 1976.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup> From 1977 to 1982 he was in private practice in [McKinney, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/mckinney-texas).<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup> He served as a judge of the Collin County Court at Law from 1982 to 1986, and then as a judge of the Collin County Two Hundred and Nineteenth District Court from 1986 to 1988.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup> Since 2010 he has served as a visiting professor at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup>\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nPresident [Ronald Reagan](https://www.edgepedia.org/ronald-reagan) nominated Schell to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on April 13, 1988.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup> The Senate confirmed him by voice vote on May 27, 1988, and he received his commission on June 6, 1988.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup> He served as chief judge of the Eastern District of Texas from 1994 to 2001.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup> He assumed senior status on March 10, 2015.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)</sup>\n\n## Notable cases\n\nIn *Chi v. Schell*, a civil action filed in the Sherman Division of the Eastern District of Texas, prisoner Anson Chi named Schell, among others, as a defendant. A memorandum opinion and order issued in the case on September 28, 2023, addressed the plaintiff's pending motions, including a Rule 59(e) motion for reconsideration to alter or amend the judgment.\n\n## References\n\n1. [Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges: Richard A. Schell](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1387446)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States district court judges › Surnames Q to Sc*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
 "same_as": [],
 "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-a-schell",
 "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-a-schell.md",
 "license": {
  "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0",
  "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license",
  "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.",
  "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0"
 },
 "credit": "\"Richard A. Schell\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-a-schell. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.",
 "credit_md": "\"[Richard A. Schell](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-a-schell)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-a-schell](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-a-schell). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).",
 "credit_html": "\"<a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-a-schell\">Richard A. Schell</a>\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), <a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-a-schell\">https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-a-schell</a>. <a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\">Edgepedia Community License 1.0</a>.",
 "speakable": "Richard A."
}