* {{Adorkable}}: Richard has an unfortunate habit of embarrassing himself every time he goes to court. On one of the few occasions he did win a case, his client was an unlikable {{Troll}} who goaded the defendant into punching him. In spite of himself, he's a fundamentally good person. In ''Janet King'' he's much less prone to embarrassing himself, though he still carries an awkward charm that endears him to many.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: Janet King. Originally she was a supporting character who advertised as heavily as the younger cast, but after the universal praise following Marta Dusseldorp's performance the entire franchise was reorganised so that Janet was now the official protagonist.
* HarsherInHindsight: The Nicholas Quinn story arc (involving rape allegations against the state Attorney General, which ultimately come to nothing when Quinn dies of cancer before he can be prosecuted) has become this in light of the rape allegation against federal Attorney General Christian Porter in 2021, though in this case it was the victim who died before there could be any possibility of a criminal prosecution.
* TheWoobie: Richard. Possibly the most likeable main character, and he is put through hell and back by the writers every single episode. He also finds it incredibly hard to deal with, making him prime woobie material.
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