He argued on the side of the appellee in the United States Supreme Court case Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, 494 U.S. 652 (1990).

[1] McLellan received his Bachelor of Arts in 1964 from Michigan State University Honors College with a degree in advertising.

In 2007, he was selected by the Secretary of Defense to participate in a tour of the United States Pacific Command as part of the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference ("JCOC").

[3] In 2010, McLellan served as Chairman of the Transition Team for the newly elected Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette.

[6] He was a co-author of the study "The Universal Tuition Tax Credit: A Proposal to Advance Parental Choice in Education," published by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

During the process, McLellan engaged in an online debate with John Austin, president of State Board of Education.

McLellan is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Michigan State University College of Communication Arts and Sciences.

He is a member of the advisory board for the James H. and Mary B. Quello Center for Telecommunication Management and Law,[20] a research facility at Michigan State University.

He was a member of the board of the Imagine Fund (IFund), a scholarship granting organization, is to ensure access and expand equal opportunity to higher education for students based on their race, color, sex, ethnicity, national origin, and/or other cultural characteristics.

[21] McLellan was the Michigan State University's College of Law commencement speaker for the Spring 2010 graduating class.

In 1990, McLellan was appointed by President George H. W. Bush as a Presidential Observer to the elections in the People's Republic of Bulgaria.

In February 1999, he also served as an observer for the Nigerian National elections with the International Republic Institute Delegation headed by the then retired General Colin Powell.

[3] McLellan has been active in Republican Party politics for many years, starting as chairman of the MSU Romney Volunteers in 1962.

He is a former member of the board of trustees for the Michigan State University College of Law, where he served as chair of a Special Committee On Tenure.

He was among 28 prominent lawyers and judges as members of the 2009 Judicial Crossroads Task Force to review the structure of the State Bar.

Also in 2001, he was honored for his years of working with the Igbo people in Africa by being named a chief with the title of the Obinwanne of Ogbunike, by H.R.H.

[3] U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers have included Richard D. McLellan and his McLellan Law Offices in both the 2013 "Best Law Firms" and The Best Lawyers in America rankings, providing a comprehensive view of the U.S. legal profession that is unprecedented both in the range of firms represented and in the range of qualitative and quantitative data used to develop the rankings.

In addition, Richard McLellan was selected by his peers to be included in The Best Lawyers in America, 19th edition for his work in the practice area of Administrative/Regulatory Law.

Dawson Bell of the Detroit Free Press reported: "He's seldom seen in the state Capitol, and less likely to be noticed.

"[33] 2007 Distinguished Brief Award, Thomas M. Cooley Law Review, for Brief on Appeal - Intervening Appellant Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Michigan Supreme Court Docket No.

denied, ____ U.S. ____ (February 22, 2005), in the Michigan Supreme Court upholding legislative authority to enter into gaming compacts with Indian tribes.

McLellan filed an amicus curiae for Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 50 (2010),[36] the case in which Austin was overturned.