Richard Ausness received his B.A. degree in English from the University of Florida in 1966 and his J.D. from that institution as well. He also received an LL.M. from the Yale Law School in 1973. 

Professor Ausness began his law teaching career at the University Of Florida College of Law in 1968. He has been a member of the faculty of the University of Kentucky College of Law since 1973. He served as Associate Dean of Research at UK Law from 2015-2018.

He has visited at Indiana University, Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Iowa. He had been a member of the Florida Bar since 1968. He is a co-author of A Model Water Code (University of Florida Press 1973) with Frank Maloney and Scott Morris, as well as Florida Water Law in 1979. In addition, he has published more than 60 articles on various subjects, such as products liability, trusts and estates, property, torts, environmental law and water law.

Professor Ausness currently teaches Property, Trusts & Estates and Products Liability. His other teaching interests include legal history, land use planning, water law and environmental law.