Richard T. McNeil - North Carolina Military Attorney

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Richard T. McNeil was born in Syracuse, New York in 1947. He graduated from high school in 1965 and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps for a term of four years. During the course of his enlistment he was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Camp Smith, Hawaii and later served in Viet Nam. He was discharged in 1969, having achieved the rank of Sergeant, and thereafter attended the State College of New York at Oswego, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1973, having graduated Magna Cum Laude. That same year, Richard McNeil was accepted to Syracuse University Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor Degree Cum Laude in 1976. During the summer prior to his last year of Law School in 1975, he attended Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Quantico, Virginia, and was commissioned in August of 1975.

After being admitted to practice in the States of Pennsylvania in 1976 and New York in 1977, Richard McNeil again went on active duty with the United States Marine Corps. Upon completion of the Basic School and Naval Justice School in 1977, he was assigned to the 2d Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where his first assignment was as a Defense Counsel. Over the following 15 years, he served as a member of the 2d Marine Division, 2d Force Service Support Group, NLSO, Treasure Island, San Francisco, California, 3rd FSSG in Okinawa, Japan and the Navy-Marine Corps Defense Appellate Activity in Washington, D. C. During that time he served in a number of billets, including Review Officer, Chief Defense Counsel, Chief Trial Counsel, Military Judge, Military Justice Officer and Appellate Defense Counsel.

In 1992, Richard McNeil retired from the United States Marine Corps and entered private practice. His law firm, McNeil and Associates handles primarily criminal law cases, with an emphasis on Military Law. He has argued over 65 appellate cases at the various military appellate courts, including 15 arguments before the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Over the course of his career his courts-martial experience exceeds 1000 trials. While the practice of Military law remains his focus, Richard McNeil is also currently involved in North Carolina State death penalty litigation. Over the past four years, he has represented six clients charged with first degree murder at the trial level. In addition, during that period, he represented two clients convicted of capital murder at the post-conviction stage. Currently, he is representing four new clients charged with first degree murder at the trial level.