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A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, Richard Hitz is a stalwart advocate for injury victims at Carlson & Burnett, LLP. Prior to beginning law school, Richard served in the U.S. Navy as a U.S. Navy Corpsman and Medic beginning in 1985 in order to pursue a career in medicine. In order to pay his law school tuition, he worked as a corrections officer and as a certified nursing assistant in assisted living facilities. He was given a CALI Award for Excellence in American Legal History and served as chairman of the Client Counseling Board. Richard’s unique experience and genuine sympathy for injured people and their families has made him a dedicated advocate who works hard to protect the rights of those he serves. Richard’s practice is 100% focused on litigation of personal injury, nursing home neglect, wrongful death, catastrophic injury, and workers’ compensation cases.

I have been practicing law in Eastern Oregon since 1993.  Prior to beginning my legal carreer, I worked as a police officer with the Tulsa, Oklahoma Police Department, I attended the University of Tulsa Law School while working in the department's Special Investigations Unit.  I moved my family from Oklahoma  to Eastern Oregon when I graduated from law school.  My first job was as an assistant district attorney with the Union County DA's Office.  I gained valuable trial experience, trying cases to juries in everything from sexual abuse to attempted aggravated murder.. In 1997 I began working in private practice;  first with Mautz Baum & O'Hanlon, and then as a sole practitioner.  In 2000 Gene Hallman and I formed the partnership of Hallman & Dretke.  Ours firm's practice is exclusively in litigation.  In the past few years I have developed a practice that focuses on nursing home abuse.  I find that taking on the corporations that own nursing homes and too often put profits before people is a rewarding experience.  Our firm has also litigated against some of the most powerful corporations around:  Ford Motor Company, Wal-Mart, and UPRR to name a few.. My wife, Khuelien ("Lien"), is a family nurse practitioner with the Grande Ronde Internal Medicine Clinic in La Grande.  We have been married for 29 years.  Together we have raised two children, Rachael - who is soon to obtain her Masters degree and follow in her mother's footsteps as a nurse practitioner, and Tyler - who will graduate from Oregon State University in Fall 2010 with a degree in geology.. Lien and I both stay physically active.  She runs consistently and has completed full and half-marathons.  I compete in Iron-distance triathlons.  When we are not training or working, we dote on our grandson, Ethan.