Lt. Richard Nilsen
Instructor
Richard Nilsen holds dual titles in the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office: He is a sworn Detective Lieutenant and a Special Assistant District Attorney. He has spent more than a decade in each of his major positions: District Attorney’s Forensic Services Unit (Commander); District Attorney’s Homicide Unit (Detective) and the Lower Merion Police Department (Patrol, Investigations and ERT (SWAT)). Lt. Nilsen has participated in more than 400 homicide investigations.
Lt. Nilsen has lectured extensively on criminal investigation procedures and legal issues affecting Pennsylvania patrolmen and detectives. He served many years as a Municipal Police Academy instructor and Associate Editor of the Pennsylvania Police Criminal Law Bulletin. He is a Fellow of the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education and has taught university courses in advanced crime scene investigation, death investigation, and criminal law and ethics.
Lt. Nilsen obtained his undergraduate and graduate degrees in 1986 and 1987, respectively, from Villanova University and his law degree from Widener University School of Law in 1993. He is also a graduate of Northwestern University’s Police Staff and Command School.