 He was educated at King's College School and St John's College, Oxford (BA, MA).Having been called to the Bar at Gray's Inn in 1975, Richards was Second Junior Counsel to the Director General of Fair Trading 1987–89 and Standing Counsel 1989–91.He was Junior Counsel to the Crown 1990–91 and First Junior Treasury Counsel 1992–97 (elected as a Bencher of Gray's Inn on taking up the latter appointment).