Historical instructor

RICHARD KEYSER

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 3.44/5 from 52 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

What students say

Original student reviews · all captured dates

LS262 · course not matched
Quality 3/5Difficulty 4/5
Takes forever to grade, gives vague outlines without rubrics and grades very harshly. Admits to unmeetable expectations and nit-picky grading. Has random grad student grader you will never engage with. Yet a passionate and intelligent lecturer with clear understanding of content, kind and funny.
Rate My Professors ↗
LS261 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
Professor Keyser is a thoughtful and detailed lecturer, but you will not get an A if you don't pay attention and read the material carefully. He's very clear about his expectations, and although the class is undoubtedly challenging, you can get a lot out of the class if you put in the effort.
Rate My Professors ↗
LS430 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
Took legal history & environmental law, both reading and lecture heavy, but worth it if you're interested. Grading isn't too bad if you're a good writer. Not the warmest but he's clearly very passionate and knowledgable on the topics he teaches. 2 of the only classes I've ever enjoyed attending, wish I could take another!
Rate My Professors ↗
Quality 3/5Difficulty 4/5
This course requires intense note taking, reading, and studying. Be prepared for challeneging exams and take-home papers. The midterm & final were timed, in-class closed note blue book exams in which you would write an essay (luckily he provides the prompt a week prior to the exam). He makes it as pain-free as he can though, & isn't a harsh grader.
Rate My Professors ↗
LS262 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
This class is very well organized. There is a solid amount of reading, but it is very digestible, and he covers the key points in class. He is very passionate about history. I loved his lectures! Very kind and understanding of situations when you need to miss class. Just wants to help you learn. Good and flexible grader.
Rate My Professors ↗
LS262 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
The course takes consistent effort, especially with readings, but it pays off. Keep up, attend lectures, and it will show in your grades. Prof Keyser gives detailed feedback that helps you improve and has strengthened my essay skills. His lectures are engaging and funny. Highly recommend if you're ready to work and grow as a writer and thinker.
Rate My Professors ↗

Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with RICHARD KEYSER

This course explores environmental studies through law and legal history, covering English, European, and American legal approaches to land use and pollution, alongside contemporary U.S. and international environmental law.

No offering record · Spring 2026

with this instructor · course overall, matching historical terms

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2021–Spring 2026 · limited sample

Surveys American legal history from the Civil War to the present, examining law's interaction with social and political change.

No offering record · Spring 2026

with this instructor · course overall, matching historical terms

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Spring 2026ENVIRST/HISTORY/LEGALST 430Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Spring 2026HISTORY/LEGALST 262American Legal History, 1860 to the Present
Fall 2025ENVIRST/HISTORY/LEGALST 430Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Fall 2025HISTORY/LEGALST 261American Legal History to 1860
Spring 2025ENVIRST/HISTORY/LEGALST 430Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Spring 2025HISTORY/LEGALST 262American Legal History, 1860 to the Present
Fall 2024ENVIRST/HISTORY 328Environmental History of Europe
Fall 2024HISTORY/LEGALST 261American Legal History to 1860
Spring 2024ENVIRST/HISTORY/LEGALST 430Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Spring 2024HISTORY/LEGALST 262American Legal History, 1860 to the Present
Fall 2023ENVIRST/HISTORY 328Environmental History of Europe
Fall 2023HISTORY/LEGALST 261American Legal History to 1860
Spring 2023ENVIRST/HISTORY/LEGALST 430Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Spring 2023HISTORY/LEGALST 262American Legal History, 1860 to the Present
Spring 2023LEGALST/POLISCI 217Law, Politics and Society
Fall 2022ENVIRST/HISTORY 328Environmental History of Europe
Fall 2022HISTORY/LEGALST 261American Legal History to 1860
Fall 2022LEGALST 682Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2022ENVIRST/HISTORY 328Environmental History of Europe
Spring 2022HISTORY/LEGALST 262American Legal History, 1860 to the Present
Fall 2021ENVIRST/HISTORY/LEGALST 430Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Fall 2021HISTORY/LEGALST 261American Legal History to 1860
Fall 2020ENVIRST/HISTORY 328Environmental History of Europe
Fall 2020HISTORY/LEGALST 261American Legal History to 1860
Spring 2020ENVIRST/HISTORY/LEGALST 430Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Spring 2020HISTORY/LEGALST 262American Legal History, 1860 to the Present
Fall 2019ENVIRST/HISTORY/LEGALST 430Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Fall 2019HISTORY/LEGALST 261American Legal History to 1860
Fall 2019LEGALST 692Senior Thesis
Spring 2019HISTORY/LEGALST 262American Legal History, 1860 to the Present
Spring 2019LEGALST 691Senior Thesis
Spring 2019LEGALST 692Senior Thesis
Fall 2018HISTORY/LEGALST 261American Legal History to 1860
Spring 2018ENVIRST/HISTORY/LEGALST 430Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Spring 2018HISTORY/LEGALST 262American Legal History, 1860 to the Present
Fall 2017ENVIRST/HISTORY 328Environmental History of Europe
Fall 2017HISTORY/LEGALST 261American Legal History to 1860
Fall 2017LEGALST 699Directed Study
Spring 2017ENVIRST/HISTORY/LEGALST 430Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Spring 2017HISTORY/LEGALST 262American Legal History, 1860 to the Present
Fall 2016ENVIRST/HISTORY 328Environmental History of Europe
Fall 2016HISTORY/LEGALST 261American Legal History to 1860
Spring 2016ENVIRST/HISTORY/LEGALST 430Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Spring 2016HISTORY/LEGALST 262American Legal History, 1860 to the Present
Fall 2015ENVIRST/HISTORY 328Environmental History of Europe
Fall 2015HISTORY/LEGALST 261American Legal History to 1860
Spring 2015ENVIRST/HISTORY/LEGALST 430Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Spring 2015HISTORY/LEGALST 262American Legal History, 1860 to the Present
Fall 2014ENVIRST/HISTORY 328Environmental History of Europe
Fall 2014HISTORY/LEGALST 261American Legal History to 1860
Spring 2014ENVIRST/HISTORY/LEGALST 430Law and Environment: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Spring 2014HISTORY/LEGALST 262American Legal History, 1860 to the Present
Spring 2014LEGALST 692Senior Thesis
Fall 2013HISTORY 223Explorations in European History (h)
Fall 2013LEGALST 450Topics in Legal Studies and the Humanities
Fall 2013LEGALST 691Senior Thesis
Spring 2013LEGALST 400Topics in Legal Studies and the Social Sciences
Spring 2013LEGALST 450Topics in Legal Studies and the Humanities
Fall 2012LEGALST 450Topics in Legal Studies and the Humanities
Spring 2012LEGALST 400Topics in Legal Studies and the Social Sciences
Spring 2012LEGALST 450Topics in Legal Studies and the Humanities
Fall 2011HISTORY 600Advanced Seminar in History
Fall 2011LEGALST 450Topics in Legal Studies and the Humanities

Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.

Instructor identity & provenance
{
  "instructor_uid": "instructor_e5c195c5cca7755783c4437d",
  "source": "madgrades",
  "source_instructor_id": "4953505",
  "identity_basis": "source_id",
  "identity_status": "source_identified",
  "name": "RICHARD KEYSER",
  "email": null,
  "first_observed_at": "2026-09-06 23:14:58.172943+00:00",
  "last_observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
  "ratings": {
    "review_count": 52,
    "quality": 3.44,
    "difficulty": 4.13,
    "quality_count": 52,
    "difficulty_count": 52,
    "profile_id": "rmp:2014946",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2014946",
    "match_basis": "exact_name",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:09:59.398399+00:00",
    "courses": {
      "course_d5b2a5e9343df2c9391f9384": {
        "review_count": 9,
        "quality": 4.22,
        "difficulty": 4.22,
        "quality_count": 9,
        "difficulty_count": 9
      }
    },
    "bayesian_quality": 3.501023828762943,
    "prior_mean": 3.6596857835465957,
    "prior_weight": 20
  },
  "grade_statistics": {
    "gpa": 3.11,
    "graded": 1884,
    "counts": [
      234,
      540,
      721,
      278,
      85,
      6,
      20
    ],
    "sections": 63
  },
  "current": false,
  "courses": [],
  "revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
  "instructor_url": "/instructors/RICHARD_KEYSER--instructor_e5c195c5cca7755783c4437d"
}