Page 24 - Pierce County Lawyer - September October 2025

~ I woke up this morning (July 29th) to read that Professor Settle had
died on July 23, 2025. It was July 16 when I completed the story below
about him, and about baseball. Professor Settle left us an unforgettable
legacy, including how he influenced the game of baseball.
Jim Lopez completed the article
below on July 16; on July 23 Dick
Settle passed away.
Dick Settle was an amazing lawyer
and an amazing teacher. Even
Torts, Baseball, and Torts, Baseball, and
though I was a colleague with him
Just Plain Common Sense Just Plain Common Sense
from the first day of the Law School
on South Tacoma Way, I thought
By James Lopez
he only taught Torts and Land
Use/Environmental; I didn’t know
until now that he was also teaching
baseball.
Dick was born in 1942 in Nebraska,
and moved with his family to
Washington at an early age. He
went to the UW and UW Law
School and was teaching business
law courses at the University of
Puget Sound when it was decided
to create a law school. He was one
of the first professors hired and
taught torts and what was then
termed “Legislation” but was really
legal writing. He was one of us who
taught on Saturdays and endured
the training flights from McCord
AFB (now Joint Base JBLM).
Dick became an expert (the expert)
in land use planning while working
on the development plan for the Gig
Harbor Peninsula where he lived.
His expertise was such that he was
recruited to practice with the then
Foster Pepper law firm.
Jim Lopez notes that Dick left an
unforgettable legacy, and we can all
agree.
- Professor John Weaver
Facts: Facts:
The pitcher learned a lot in law school. He had to remember just about
everything in order to pass the bar exam and become an attorney.
Looking back, it was the 1975 summer session at the University of
Puget Sound School of Law in Tacoma, Washington, when he took
Torts from Professor Richard Settle. The sessions flew by because
Professor Settle was so knowledgeable and personable.
The attorney never had to use the Doctrine of Last Clear Chance as a
defense in a negligence case as a practicing attorney. The facts of this
case do not involve a finding of liability or the pointing of fingers.
This case pertains to the duty of the pitcher to make the correct call
in a specific situation when no other player in the infield evidences an
intention to do so.
It was a picture-post card 1998 midsummer evening in Tacoma,
Washington, at the Heidelberg Sports Complex. The Pierce County
Roy Hobbs League Over-30 team, the Tacoma Cascades, were on the
field. Night had fallen, the lights were on, the game was in the middle-
to-late innings, and the Cascades were in the lead.
The first batter hit a not-too-towering pop fly behind the mound.
The pitcher finished his pitch, turned around, looked up, and located
the ball immediately. He knew he could not field it because he would
have to step across the pitching plate and go down the back end of
the mound. Thus, he stood behind the pitcher’s plate and eyed his
infielders.
The second baseman was playing deep and was not involved in this
play. The other three infielders sought to make a play and they came
forward toward the grass at the back of the mound to catch the falling
ball. All three were silent.
The third baseman was an excellent player. The shortstop had a rocket
for an arm.
The first baseman was a former Major League player with the Los
Angeles Dodgers and the Minnesota Twins. He played second, third,
and shortstop during his nine years in A through AAA ball.
Continuing, the pitcher had an unobstructed view as the ball was
coming down. All three Infielders were in his sight. Still no calls from
the infielders.
The third baseman was the closest to the ball, so the pitcher called for
him to make the catch. Still no calls from the infielders and the ball fell
to the ground as the pitcher and the infielders looked at it in the grass.
The batter stood on first base.
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