Born on February 4, 1912, in
Nashville,
Tennessee, Richardson received an
Artium Baccalaureus degree in 1934 from the
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and an
Artium Magister degree in 1936 from the same institution. He received a
Juris Doctor in 1937 from the
Howard University School of Law. Richardson entered private practice in
Chicago,
Illinois, from 1938 to 1939. He was an associate professor of law at
Lincoln University School of Law from 1939 to 1943. He served as a senior attorney at the
Office of Price Administration from 1943 to 1944. He served as
dean and professor of law at Lincoln University School of Law from 1944 to 1953. He served as a member of the
United States Board of Parole from 1953 to 1957 and served as chair of the United States Board of Parole from 1954 to 1957. ==Federal judicial service==