Class has good discussions. Learn many modern theorist thoughts very thoroughly.

Promotes good discussion, but is often very dry while lecturing.

Boring. Writes out all notes, but flies through them. Much material. Tests tough

He is a great professor I thought- initiated real thoughtful discussions-

Promotes class discussion and types out all the notes. Very cool

Hard class, but quite possibly the coolest prof at GVSU

boring subject - can print out the notes - good sense of humor, little homework

Fun teacher who teaches well with an excellent sense of humor

Great Prof, makes class bearable

Great Prof. gives you lecture notes, exams are hard but papers are graded easy

Nice guy. Very friendly, willing to help. Fun class.

cool guy. tests are a little difficult but papers are easy. takes attendence

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Makes class semi-bearable for those of us not politically minded.

Great Professor; Print out notes, very helpful; Readings not necessary; flexible

Very knowledgable. Keeps class interesting. Strict attendance policy!

great prof. engaging class discussions, great sense of humor, takes attendence

interesting discussion, can have outline for exams, attendance taken

great prof...one of the best at GVSU

Tests were take-home. Class trip to the bar was fun.

Richards=best professor ever

Great prof. tough subject but he helps it out a lot. funny too.

He's awesome. If you can, take a class with him, you'll get a lot out of it~

Made a surefire boring class exciting, willing to be flexible to your schedule!

Assume instructer I learned a lot more than I thought I would

awesome guy, best prof at gv...get to know him as a friend and teacher

very hard to understand at first but after getting to know his teaching style he's the best, makes you think intellectually, thinks on our level, jokes around, makes law 'fun'

Nice guy. ALWAYS gives extensions if you ask before (5 minutes) the paper is due!!!

Great professor, very helpful, very flexible, very interesting, made class fun

Very knowledgeable, easygoing, I got grade consistent with my effort in class, doesn't keep you long at class just for kicks, I've already scheduled 2 more classes with him

Teaches straight from the lecture notes that he puts online. Not much to base your grade on. Hard class if you have a minimal gov't knowledge.

Great prof and a really nice guy. All you have to do is participate and do the work, and he'll love you.

One word: Awsome!!

Great Prof. VERY easy going. Does not play the Political Currect games that most profs do.

he's a riot! Makes the class easy with his teaching style and humor. Bends over backwards to help you and will usually let you turn things in late with no penalty. DEFINITELY reccomended.

Dr. Richards is a prof everyone should have. Very nice, helpful, understanding. If you put forth the effort you will do well in his class.

Greatest professor ever, takes exams straight from notes, helps whenever he can, makes time to meet with you outside class, makes law fun, would highly recommend for any class he teaches!!

Great attitude towards students, funny guy, take any class possible with this guy! this class was all essay and in depth so be prepared, however he helps you out b4 the exam is handed out-take home essay exams.

Solid teacher, good guy. Good notes. Take him if you can.

i have had this prof for 4 classes, ones i dont even need-he is so awesome! funny and loves the constitution. go to class and you'll get an A

Excellent professor. Relatively firm grader, but superb overall. Great classroom discussions. Raising clear thinking points, analyzes issues from other perspectives.

There is a lot to this class, but don't worry, you'll do fine. Take home tests are easy, but you have to pay attention in class. He gives the answers to the test out right on his lecture notes. Awesome class!

Very laid back lectures. Has outlines online so that's always a plus. Nice guy who keeps class fun.

He is the best prof I've had in 5 years here at GVSU. Interesting lecturer and provides all of his notes online. He is a huge Packer fan so give him grief when they lose. There is a little work to do but he is very fair.

Probably the funniest professor I've had yet. You'll have to work hard, but he practically gives you all the answers to the take home exams, and will help you when you need it.

Great professor, I've now had him twice. You learn a lot about the law from him. Casual attitude, but firm expectations. He listens well if you're having difficulty, and is very helpful.

Very fun and interesting. He gives the answers to the tests you just need to add more and make it all look good. I would suggest him to anyone. :)

This man is awesome!! You learn a lot through discussion, then he gives you the answers to the take home exams. Just pay attention and participate, you'll get an A, and enjoy the class.

This Prof seems really cool and funny in class. However,he will smile at you and then give you a low grade when he grades. He definetely keeps favorites in class and is totally unfair and baised!!! His exams are take home but he is very vague on what he wants you to do.

His pedigogy appeals to the students, and the classes are often humerous, interesting and relevent. Be sure to incorperate as many cases he gives you as you can when you write your papers.

Very helpful and nice guy. Has a great sense of humor, print notes offline before you go to class and follow a long. Take him at night, you won't regret it.

Smart, funny, helpful, great clarity and made things more interesting. What more can a student ask for? Great Prof.

A student could not ask for a more perfect professor. Classes are very entertaining and educational. Richards is very flexible and very helpful with assignments. Knows subject really well. Also, if you are planning on law school, he will answer questions and give you recommendations on how to approach the LSAT, applying and personal statements.

this man is a wonderful proffesor who any student would be happy to take. . . and a dorky sense of humor.

He's a funny guy and tries to throw a joke into his lectures every now and then to keep you entertained...unfortunately he's not always successful because his lectures are STRAIGHT out of the notes he posts on his website. Really easy class, take-home tests and one paper. An interesting guy to talk to outside of class very nice and helpful.TAKE HIM

TAKE HIM! I am not big into law, but he dumbs it down for you, and makes the class easy for you to pass. 2 take home exams, and 1 paper, but he gives you the answers you need to do the best. VERY funny--offbeat humor, but you will laugh. Classes are lectures of his notes which are posted word for word online but attendance counts so you must go

Richards is a great prof. I will definately miss him! He is very clear with what you need to know to succeed. Very helpful in answering questions and with what you need to have to succeed on the tests. I don't like politics but he makes the stuff interesting. GREAT CLASS :)

Great prof, class can be boring, but hes funny and take home exams are easy. Oral argument wasn't very hard, I would recommend him for sure!

Good professor, though from his law school background expects you to write at a level higher than undergrad. Although he may not seem like it, very tough grader. Still, fun guy, smart and good prof.

While the class is at times boring, you do get to play video games one day. If you're like me and think Diven shows a shameful amount of liberal bias for a college professor, take Richards. The end paper is rough to write, but the class as a whole is easy and you can learn alot if you choose. Can't go wrong with the Department Head!

A genuinely nice guy, impossible not to like. Occasionally rushes through notes, and his grading criteria are often unclear, but the papers were a breeze.

Good guy, and a good professor. One of the best I have had. Can be difficult if you do not read, but if you say on top of the readings and talk in class, you will do well! Take him if you can!

Interesting class, focuses almost completely out of his Blog online. Can get pretty boring if you're not into Constitutional Law, but he admits to it so it's alright. The class itself takes a lot of reading, focuses on two papers, 5-6 page minimum alongside a 3 page final exam.

Professor Richards easily became a small handful of my most favorite professors at GVSU. Engaging, kind, extremely funny and sincerely cares about the success of his students. I did not understand the legal jargon, but Professor Richards will explain and is beyond reasonable and fair. I Highly recommend anyone to take one of his courses.

Professor Richards is a great teacher. He is very knowledgable in the areas that he teaches. I believe he is one of the best teachers that I have had @GVSU thus far. Actually, I would say he is the best teacher I have had at Grand Valley.

Professor Richards is a good teacher. He knows his material, he knows the U.S. Constitution like the back of his hand, and he has a wonderful style of teaching. He uses several different techniques throughout the semester, which keeps things interesting. He is also very concise when conveying knowledge to you. I would recommend Professor Richards.

In the Spring/Summer Term you could not miss anymore than 4 classes total. However, Richards is a great teacher. PLS 307 Const Law 2, he is wonderful. He knows the Constitution very well. He is very concise in his communication and he is fair overall. He encourages everybody in the class to participate in discussion, and he is easy going. Take him!

Fun class. You'll learn a lot about the constitution, and class sessions are fairly engaging. Attendance is worth 5% to your grade, so it's definitely worth it to go. Not too much writing, but enough to keep you busy.

Professor Richards is a pretty good professor. Class was actually way easier than it should have been. Decent amount of writing. 3 different papers, although one was very short. Exams are multiple choice and really easy if you put in any effort to study.

I absolutely loved Dr. Richards as a professor and I loved con law too. While it isn't completely mandatory to do the readings, I highly suggest it. It makes following along so much easier and it allows for easy class discussion. Richards is super hilarious and he made even the most dull of topics interesting! Definitely take him and con law 1 & 2!

Dr. Richards is the best Prof in the PLS department. Can not say enough about him. Incredibly nice guy. Two or three 40 question multiple choice exams. A super fun debate, and a mock supreme court oral argument. No pressure at all, very laid back. One of two papers as well. TAKE HIM IF YOU CAN!

I'm pretty sure nobody jumps up and down about studying Supreme Court cases, but Dr. Richards does an incredible job of explaining them and making lectures really fun and entertaining. Also helpful when you have questions. Great professor, seems like he really cares about you learning and doing well. HIGHLY recommend.

Professor Richards is seriously so smart. He makes lecture so fun and interesting, I always want to come to class. I don't have the book and I've been succeeding just fine, but I'm sure I'd do better with it. You don't necessarily need to go to class, but it's recommended and like I said, it's a good class! Would take him 100 times!!

Prof. Richards is great! His exams are exactly like the reviews no surprise questions. Very little homework. Assignments are graded easily. Dont really need to do the readings. Dont buy the textbook. He does show a lot of videos in class. Overall hes a very chill and relaxed prof.

Really awesome professor. Participation is important in this class and there are a couple in class debates and a presentation. But its really relaxed and hes very accommodating and is willing to extend deadlines. Tests are easy. Really clear on how he grades, what he expects on papers. Super funny and very helpful.

I had this class online and he was amazing! You can tell he really cares about his students and wants them to learn. Honestly, one of the best classes I have taken! There were a ton of assignments but they all had a purpose and you can still miss a few and get a good grade. Definitely recommend!

Richards was a wonderful professor. He constantly has something intelligent to say on each topic he was teaching, or ranting about. He is a fun guy and reminds me of someones goofy father. He was always willing to help students in anyway he could. When asking for help, he gives valuable feedback and shows that he really cares for his students.

One of the best poli-sci professors. Super easy exams, homework, and papers.

Prof Richardson is a really cool guy, who loves what he teaches, and cares about his students. The class isn't hard, there are 2 big papers, a presentation, a debate, and 3 exams. A lot of quizzes throughout the semester, but they're online with multiple tries, and then all the quiz q's are on the exam as well. Don't buy the textbook

Richards is the best prof. Hes super chill and accomodating. He teaches his class in ways that are easy to understand. Very lenient grader. His exams are just like practice quizzes and what he teaches in class, no surprises at all. Ive taken many polisci classes w him and hes the best.

One of the greatest professors I have ever had. Very accessible and understanding of students challenges that may arise. I honestly would come back after graduation to take him again.

Highly recommend him and this class for your gen ed! He was so sweet and understanding about everything imaginable. He made his lectures interesting and provides you with the links necessary to do work-so don't buy the textbooks.

This was a great class though a lot of material in 6 weeks. There were numerous assignments, though not super difficult, and a 8 page paper (if you want an A on it) at the end. Assignments could be turned in late, Professor Richards gave a lot of leeway, and he also gave great feedback on all of them. You'll stay busy, but a great class and prof!

Prof Richards is an exceptional instructor. His expectations and grading criteria are crystal clear and it is easy to get an A if you follow his instructions. He is super understanding with extensions. He is kind, funny, and wants you to do well in his class.

He lectured so well and as long as you watched the lectures it was very easy to get an A on the quizzes. The papers are long but he grades pretty easy. This class may have been the easiest class I've taken but it also is the class I learned the most in. He is so goo d at explaining and engaging with students!

I loved Professor Richards, you watch his lecture (only 10-20 minutes each) then take a quiz on it. Everything is open note, open internet. There are a couple of papers but he is very clear on what to do on each section of them. You do two presentations, but all you have to do it present and you get a 100. Highly recommend

I love professor Richards! He made the class super easy and really wants to see his students do well. Because of covid, we had no exams, just weekly quizzes based of the lectures which he records and makes available to you! We had two essays and gave us an outline explaining how to get an A and is super understanding!

Great professor and great class with very interesting topics. Grading is easy and he is super understanding. I had a mild panic attack while presenting on Zoom and he gave me so much reassurance and it didnt affect my grade. I would highly recommend for anyone!

super easy prof. makes his courses super easy. easy going and caring. very intelligent prof. he cares about his students. Had him for a bunch of classes As in all of them teaches very interesting.

I LOVED Professor Richards! He was very caring, funny, and overall a really nice guy. The lectures were very interesting and all quiz answers were in them. We had 2 papers and he made the criteria SUPER clear! I would definitely recommend him to anyone :)

I LOVED this professor. His class was easy. His quizzes are easy. There are only 3 papers, but they build off of each other. He was accessible outside of class for any help. He gave me extensions for all my papers due to stress from other classes. TAKE HIM!!!

AMAZING professor. Take a class with him if you can! He is so understanding and nice.

I am taking my THIRD class with Dr. Richards, and I am not even a PLS major (just minor). All of his quizzes are open-note/book/internet. He does not do exams. He is so caring--especially with my disability, and a very easy grader. There are only a few PLS professors that are good and he is one of the top professors. TAKE HIM!

Prof Richards is by far my favorite professor I have taken at GV. I absolutely love him! Very lenient, cares a lot about his students, and is overall super engaging. I have never had a professor respond so quickly to emails and be so understanding of student issues. I learned so much! He makes a class that could be easily boring fun! Take him!!!!!!

I LOVE MARK. He's literally so chill, no exams, no textbooks, and only 2 papers which he basically spells it out for you what you should write. This class was so much fun, great lectures, he has a good sense of humor. Super accessible outside class, he wants you to succeed. 1000% would take again. TAKE HIM!!!

Professor Richards is very calm and he gives interesting lectures. He gives out a several quizzes (all online), there is an oral argument, and two papers. He gives a grace period for all assignments, which is super helpful, he opens a space for students to ask questions and share their opinions, and he cares about his students' views.

Very, very easy grader. He gave 30% extra to every quiz up to 100%, so you only needed to get 70% to get 100%. He graded papers very generously. You would have to try to not get an A. Despite being very relaxed, he gave very good lectures and I felt like I learned a lot and was challenged to learn, just not in the grade book, which is awesome.

Amazing professor who actually cares about his students. Lectures were entertaining and funny. He's so chill, literally impossible to fail his class. If you like law, take this class. Hes super understandable and willing to work with you. 10/10 would take again!!!

Professor Richards is a great professor and always kept me engaged. He has a rule about attendance, but it is only like 5% of your final grade. There are quizzes online that are open note and everything. There aren't any tests and one big paper at the end, but you work on it throughout the semester. He is also a super kind person.

Prof Richards was fantastic. His lectures were always interesting and engaging. Should you need an extension on a project or extra help, he is very understanding. Richards clearly cares about what he does, and I'd definitely take a class with him again. He's also a lenient grader - if you pay attention and make an effort, you'll get an A.

Professor Richards was one of the best professors I have ever had. All his quizzes are open book, online, and you can take them over again to get a 100. He does an oral argument which was pretty fun and its not that hard if you're a judge. He always leaves feedback on your papers. Overall a really easy way to get an A. He's very fun and nice.

Professor Richards is the best professor I have ever had. I have taken a few of his courses. He is very caring and an easy-going professor. He loves student participation, and he gives everyone a fair grade. If you need an extension on a paper or have to miss a class, he is always willing to working with you. I recommend him for any class!

Absolute king, fav professor ever. I've taken two of his classes and they were both awesome, he'll give u a month extension on papers if you ask and help in any way he can with literally anything. he genuinely cares about students and it makes a huge difference when sitting in his lectures. Quizzes are also done as a group so its an easy A.

The absolute GOAT. Really cares for his students and is lenient with grading. Not a lot of work and the quizzes are basically done as a class. A really respectful and understanding guy.

Prof Richards is one of the most chill, understanding, and nicest prof I've had at GV. There is no HW, a few quizzes that we do as a class, and two long papers that you write throughout the semester. The guideline he provides for the papers gives you step by step what you need to do, so it's super easy. His class was an easy A and was entertaining.

Professor Richards was an amazing prof. You don't take tests in this class you only take quizzes as a class or with a partner. A final paper is due at the end of the semester, but he gives you a template that makes it easier to write. Take him if you need to take a law class. He really cares about his students!

Mark Richards is an excellent professor and this is an excellent class if you are interested in law. If you put effort in and attend class enough, you will get a good grade in this class. He's very flexible and understanding- I had bronchitis and he was happy to grant me an extension on a paper.

Professor Richards is one of the best! His lectures are engaging, and he's super understanding. With open-book quizzes, an oral argument, and just two papers, the class is a breeze. Definitely take this course - unstuckstudy can help with study prep too!

Great guy, great professor, super understanding and willing to work with you. It's like impossible to fail the class.

Awesome, love him!

Easy grader, super flexible for students, and really laid back. Classwork was easy, mostly weekly online quizzes with 1 large paper, 1 group presentation, and 1 single minute solo presentation. Grades as credit/no credit for the most part, and quizzes are retakeable to up scores.