Richard Eaton was nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1999 to a lifetime appointment on the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York. In addition to his duties hearing unfair international trade law cases, he frequently sits as a U.S. district court judge and on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Prior to his appointment, Richard was a partner in a Wall Street law firm and served as chief of staff to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. He received his law degree from Albany Law School in 1974.

A 1970 graduate of Ithaca College, Richard was on the staff of the Ithacan and took part in the Triplum program, which integrated philosophy, English, and history.

He is married to Susan Henshaw Jones, who is the president and director of the Museum of the City of New York. In 2007 Richard and Susan hosted a President's Associates reception at the museum, and last year they hosted a reception in honor of School of Humanities and Sciences dean Leslie Lewis at their New York home. Richard is currently a member of the School of Humanities and Sciences Advisory Group.

Richard and Susan have two adult daughters, who live in New York.