Carver Richards

A Story of Resilience and Perseverance

At 81 years young, there’s no slowing down for Carver Richards. Between cases in his still-active criminal trial attorney practice, Carver has set out on a new career path as a motivational speaker.

Two words serve to describe Carver and the philosophy behind his motivational talks – resilience and perseverance.

Like many successful people, Carver’s story starts out with failure. He completed his high school education near the very bottom of his class at Eveleth High School in northern Minnesota. He enrolled at St. John’s University, from which he was soon expelled due to his poor academic performance. That setback, that failure, was the catalyst that turned Carver’s life around. It didn’t sit well with him for somebody to tell him he wasn’t good enough or smart enough to accomplish something.

Carver joined the Marine Corps after being expelled from SJU. He served in the Corps as a communications specialist from 1962 to 1965 and was honorably discharged. He then went on to earn his BA in Business and Economics from the University of Minnesota in 1968. He remains a huge Golden Gophers fan to this day, but he didn’t exactly distinguish himself at the U of M.

Then came a second turning point.

Carver applied at William Mitchell College of Law in 1969, where he was grudgingly accepted on a probationary status due to his previously poor academic performance.  An advisor at the college predicted Carver would surely flunk out – that he didn’t have what it took to complete law school. Well, that proved to be fuel to Carver’s fire as he graduated from law school in 1973 and passed the bar soon thereafter. He then joined the Trenti Law Firm in Virginia, MN, becoming one of the region’s most effective and renowned trial lawyers, trying hundreds of criminal and jury cases.

After 51 years as a trial attorney and leading what most would consider a highly successful life and career, Carver was not done. He has embarked on a new career as a public speaker. He looks back on his life and wonders what he could have made of himself if he hadn’t wasted those early academic years. What if he had really given it his all right from the start?

By sharing his story, Carver strives to inspire people of all ages to be their best and to reach their fullest potential. Will Carver Richards succeed in this next chapter of his life? We wouldn’t bet against him.