
Richard C. Baker
Partner
rbaker@mauckbaker.com
Practice Areas
- Nonprofit & Corporate Business
- Business Planning & Formation
- Tax Exemption
- 501(c)(3)
- Commercial Real Estate
- Purchase & Sale
- Land Use/Zoning
- Estate Planning & Probate
- Will
- Trust
- Power of Attorney for Property
- Power of Attorney for Healthcare
- Business Succession Planning
- Probate
- Litigation
- Civil Liberties
- Religious Land Use (RLUIPA)
- Church Law
- Bylaw Drafting
- Risk Prevention
- Facility Use Agreements
Award Honors
- Family-PAC 2018 Defender of the Faith Award
Professional Activities & memberships
- Illinois Bar Association
- Christian Legal Society
- Christian Legal Society, National Board Member
- Alliance Defending Freedom Allied Attorney
- Christian Businessmen’s Committe, Former Board Member
- American Anglican Council, National Board Member
- Nashotah House Seminary, Visitors Board Member
- The Underwood Foundation, Executive Director and Trustee
Written Work & Presentations
- Important Year-End Reminder for Clergy
- New Parking Ordinance Helping Churches
Education
- J.D., Loyola Law School, Illinois, 1980
- B.A.,Wheaton, College, Illinois, 1977 Cum Laude
Admissions
- Illinois, 1980
- 7th Circuit Court, 1988
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- United States Supreme Court, 2005
Languages: English
Richard Baker is a founding partner of Mauck & Baker, LLC. Since law school, his ultimate goal as a lawyer has been to serve the Kingdom of God. True to his calling, the majority of Richard’s clients today are churches and religious ministries. His practice focuses on helping churches and not for profit organizations navigate the complexities of today’s highly regulated environment. Included in his practice are the areas of real estate, zoning, not for profit corporate law, federal and state tax exemption and various aspects of protecting religious freedom. He also works with individual clients in the areas of estate planning and probate, trust administration, guardianship, and adoption.
Six generations of lawyers in his family have impressed Richard with an understanding of the importance of integrity and that the practice of law is an honorable profession. Richard’s co-workers at Mauck & Baker continue to spur one another on to do God’s work.
Richard has been active with the Christian Legal Society since his law school days and serves on the Board of Christian Legal Society. Other boards he has served on include the American Anglican Council, Nashotah House Seminary’s Visitor’s Board, the Underwood Foundation and the Christian Business Men’s Committee. For many years he served as local council for the Home School Legal Defense Association and he is the past Vice-Chancellor of the Diocese of Quincy.
Richard loves to participate in local and international mission efforts, teach kids Sunday school and speak on religious freedom. He has spoken on religious zoning topics before the American Bar Association, the Christian Legal Society, numerous churches, and other not-for-profit organizations. For many years, he has had the privilege of teaching an American law class and a Bible study with Chinese lawyers in Chicago.