POWER OF ATTORNEY

      Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints each of Kevin J. Carr, Mark S. Flynn and Jennifer S. Fromm, the
undersigneds true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

      (1) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigneds
capacity as an officer and/or director of Duff & Phelps Investment Management
Co. on behalf of the Virtus Total Return Fund (the Fund), Forms 3, 4, and 5
in accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and
the rules thereunder, and any other forms or reports the undersigned may be
required to file in connection with the undersigneds ownership, acquisition,
or disposition of securities of the Fund;

      (2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the
undersigned which may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any
such Form 3, 4, or 5, or other form or report, and timely file such form or
report with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any
stock exchange or similar authority; and

      (3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with
the foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of
benefit to, in the best interest of, or legally required by, the
undersigned, including without limitation, the completion and signing of
any document that may be required to obtain EDGAR codes or any other
required filing codes on behalf of the undersigned, it being understood
that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the
undersigned pursuant to the Power of Attorney shall be in such form and
shall contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may
approve in such attorney-in-facts discretion.

      The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full
power and authority to do and perform any and every act and thing
whatsoever requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise
of any of the rights and powers herein granted, as fully to all intents
and purposes as the undersigned might or could do if personally present,
with full power of substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or such attorney-in-facts
substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by
virtue of this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein
granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys-
in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned,
are not assuming, nor is the Fund assuming, any of the undersigneds
responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934.

      This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect
until the undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4, and
5 with respect to the undersigneds holdings of and transactions in
securities issued by the Fund, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned
in a signed writing delivered to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney
to be executed as of this 9th day of December, 2011.



/s/Connie M. Luecke
________________________________________________
Connie M. Luecke