Richard J. Phelan, who died last week at 86, left a mark on both the local legal community and the national political stage during a career as a litigator, elected official and bar leader.Phelan died at his Lake Forest home March 26 of metastatic cancer, according to a news release prepared by his family.A Chicago native, Phelan captured national attention in 1988 through his investigation into ethics violations by former U.S. Speaker of the House Jim Wright, who stood accused of accepting improper gifts from a Texas …