Part-Time Faculty January Spotlight - Richard Melnick

By Liz Feldman On Behalf of the Part-Time Faculty Institute

Part-time faculty member Richard Melnick is a renowned lawyer in Montgomery County. While his knowledge about the law is vast, his area of expertise is in business law.

He primarily teaches Business Law and sometimes Introduction to Business through the Business, Economics, Accounting, Computer Applications, Hospitality Management, and Paralegal Studies (BEACAHMPS) Department on the Rockville campus.

He joined Montgomery College in 2020 after a long and distinguished career working for the County government as an Associate County Attorney. He currently has his own private practice where he advises and represents small and medium-sized businesses on a variety of legal issues, such as intellectual property, information technology, and data privacy. In addition, he provides mediation services to individuals and businesses. Melnick also currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Appeals, where he hears disputes about zoning issues.

The Pennsylvania native grew up in Plymouth Meeting, a suburb of Philadelphia. His father worked for IBM in industrial marketing. His family moved to Spring Valley, New York, a suburb of New York City when he was three years-old, and they eventually settled in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Melnick attended college at the University of Maryland in College Park. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude, while majoring in finance. Melnick then obtained his law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law.

Upon graduating from law school, he clerked for the Honorable John J. Mitchell, who was the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court for Montgomery County. Melnick then served as an Associate County Attorney for more than 30 years. He led the Contract, Procurement, and Commercial Law Unit in the County Attorney's Office.

He has received numerous honors over the course of his career. He was elected and served as President of the Bar Association of Montgomery County, as well as the Maryland State Bar Association Board of Governors. He also was elected Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) sections of both bar associations. He previously chaired an Alternative Dispute Resolution Conference that brought together more than 300 lawyers, judges, legislators, and mediators for an educational and networking event. The goal was to advance the practice of Business ADR in Maryland.

Melnick had previously worked in the classroom before joining the College. He taught Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing, and Introduction to Trial Advocacy at the University of Baltimore School of Law for eight years.

He said teaching provided him a way to share his knowledge with students. He was able to tap into his leadership experience and his collaboration with others to have success in the classroom.

"Teaching and coaching peers or young people has been an extension of those characteristics and experiences that I find meaningful," Melnick said.

"Every semester I am refreshed by some students who immerse themselves in the material. They bring energy and curiosity to the class. Working with those students and seeing them succeed has been very rewarding," Melnick added.

He said he hopes students will learn to think more like lawyers, be curious, and be proactive when they leave his classroom. He encourages students to understand that the outcomes of legal cases are not pre-ordained.

"Instead, lawyers and judges identify issues. They will then analyze the rule of law with the facts of a particular case, and reach conclusions based on that analysis," Melnick explained.

"We need to understand the reasoning behind a judicial decision, so we may apply it to a future case," he added.

He credits Dr. Drury Bagwell, who worked as Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs at the University of Maryland, for guiding him over the years.

"During both my academic and professional careers, he encouraged me to identify and take action on my goals. He told me to trust the process, take calculated risks, and not dwell on the negative or have any regrets. He has given me insights and practical guidance that helps keep perspective in various challenging situations," Melnick said.

When Melnick is not teaching or helping clients, he enjoys spending time with his wife and family. They love to travel. Melnick has visited Greece, Italy, Costa Rica, and several western states including Idaho, Wyoming and Montana in recent years. He also enjoys running and working out, coaching Sherwood High School's Cross-Country and Track & Field teams, listening to music, reading, and meditating in his spare time.