PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri today nominated William Robinson III, a
partner in a Providence law firm, to serve on the state Supreme Court.
The 64-year-old East Greenwich resident would replace Justice Robert
Flanders Jr., who is resigning.
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Journal photo
WILLIAM P. ROBINSON III
State Supreme Court nominee
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The General Assembly must still approve the nomination. If that happens,
Robinson would become the third judge Carcieri has placed on the
five-member court.
"William Robinson ... will bring to the bench considerable intellectual
prowess and appellate trial experience," Carcieri said in a statement.
"With his insatiable curiosity and keen critical thinking skills, Bill
will be a thoughtful, objective and compassionate contributor to the
work of the Supreme Court."
Robinson, who earned his law degree from Boston College in 1975, joined
the law firm of Edwards & Angell LLP in 1977 and has spent his entire
legal career with the firm, according to a press release from the
governor's office.
His main practice has been in general litigation, representing
defendants in areas of media law, civil rights and employment
discrimination. He specializes in defamation and privacy law.
"I am confident that I can play a meaningful role in continuing the
tradition of excellence and compassion that has characterized our
judicial branch," Robinson said in a statement.
His nomination is likely to be welcomed in the legal community, said
David Yas, an attorney and editor of Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly.
"He's very well-respected, a lawyer's lawyer," Yas said. "He's known as
very responsive and bright, a real thinker when it comes to the law."
He is a former member of the East Greenwich School Committee, past
officer of the Rhode Island Association of School Committees and was,
until recently, a member of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for
Higher Education.
Robinson also holds a master's degree in French literature from the
University of Rhode Island and a Ph.D. in Franch and Spanish literature
from the University of Connecticut. A native Rhode Islander, he also
lived, studied and worked in western Europe for several years, according
to his biography on the law firm's Web site.
He and his wife, Marlene, have three children.
"I've reached a point in life where I have, I hope, a breadth of
experience in the law and in life," Robinson told The Associated Press.
"It's a humbling process to pass judgment on any issue involving
people."
He was chosen from a list of five candidates selected by the Judicial
Nominating Commission.
The other candidates included: Barbara Hurst, the state's deputy public
defender; Joseph Ippolito, the District Court administrator and Traffic
Tribunal administrative magistrate; Howard Lipsey, a Family Court judge,
and John Roney, president of the Rhode Island Bar Association and a
former state senator.
Last year, Carcieri nominated to the high court Paul Suttell, who had
been a Family Court judge and Republican lawmaker, and lawyer and former
Warwick Mayor Francis Flaherty, a Democrat. Both were approved by the
Democratic-controlled General Assembly.
-- With staff reports
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