Jon Riches is the Vice President for Litigation for the Goldwater Institute’s Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation and General Counsel for the Institute. He litigates in federal and state trial and appellate courts in the areas of economic liberty, regulatory reform, free speech, taxpayer protections, public labor issues, government transparency, and school choice, among others.
Jon has developed and authored several pieces of legislation, including the landmark Right to Earn a Living Act, which provides some of the greatest protections in the country to job-seekers and entrepreneurs facing arbitrary licensing regulations. He also developed legislation eliminating deference to administrative agencies in Arizona—a first-of-its-kind regulatory reform that can serve as a model for the rest of the country.
His work at the Institute has been covered by national media, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, CBS This Morning, Bloomberg News, and Politico. Jon is also a member of the Federalist Society’s Regulatory Transparency Project: State and Local Working Group.
Prior to joining the Goldwater Institute, Jon served on active duty in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps. While on active duty, Jon represented hundreds of clients, litigated dozens of court-martial cases, and advised commanders on a vast array of legal issues.
He previously clerked for Sen. Jon Kyl on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, worked for the Rules Committee in the Arizona State Senate, and clerked in the Office of Counsel to the President at the White House. Jon received his B.A. from Boston College, where he graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his J.D. from the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law.
Jon served as a presidentially appointed Panel Member on the Federal Service Impasses Panel. He is an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and an Adjunct Professor at Arizona State University School of Law. Jon is a native of Phoenix.
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Gift Clause Debate
Arizona State Student Chapter
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University111 E Taylor St
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Using the Public Records Act to Hold Government Accountable
Orange County Lawyers Chapter, Goldwater Institute
First Floor Conference Room2040 Main Street, 1st Floor
Irvine, CA 92614
Administrative Deference Showdown
Arizona State Student Chapter
Arizona State University111 E Taylor Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Undelegating the Regulatory State
Arizona State Student Chapter
Zoom Webinar -- Arizona StateVirtual
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Uber Everything? The Sharing Economy and the Regulatory State
Duke Student Chapter
Zoom Webinar -- Duke210 Science Drive
Durham, NC 27708
Explainer Episode 34 – Institute for Justice's "Barriers to Business" Report
Regulatory Transparency Project's Fourth Branch Podcast
"To better understand the challenges small businesses face and to offer recommendations," Institute for Justice's...
Deep Dive Episode 108 – Regulating Home-Sharing and Home-Based Businesses
Regulatory Transparency Project Teleforum
In this episode, Brooks Rainwater and Jon Riches discuss developments in state and local regulations...
Explainer Episode 5 – Arizona's Licensing Reform
Regulatory Transparency Project's Fourth Branch Podcast
What are the costs and benefits of occupational licensing? Why do many believe that the...
Janus: We Must Respect Workers' Free speech Rights – Including the Right NOT to Speak
From education philosophy that determines our students’ curriculum to criminal justice reform, government unions play...