--- title: "Robert Porter Chamberlin | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/robert-porter-chamberlin" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # Robert Porter Chamberlin U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi - State: Mississippi - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Robert Porter “Bobby” Chamberlin is a federal judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, appointed in 2025 by President Donald J. Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate 51–46 - Associate Justice, Mississippi Supreme Court (2017–2025) - Judge, Mississippi Circuit Court, Seventeenth Judicial District, 2004-2017 - Judge, Mississippi Circuit Court, 17th Judicial District (2004–2017) - Counsel, DeSoto County [Mississippi] Board of Supervisors, 2001-2004 ### Education - University of Mississippi School of Law — J.D. (1990) - University of Mississippi — B.A. (1987) ### Additional information - Private practice, Hernando, Mississippi, 2001-2004 - State senator, District One, Mississippi, 2000-2004 - Private practice, Southaven, Mississippi, 1990-2001 - Municipal judge, Hernando, Mississippi, 1991-1999 - Municipal prosecutor, Horn Lake, Mississippi, 1992 - Date of birth: 1965-04-06 - Birth place: Memphis ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### electronic media coverage Scope: statewide Mississippi allows electronic media coverage of public judicial proceedings in appellate and trial courts of record, subject to the rules and presiding judge control. Evidence excerpt: Electronic media coverage of public judicial proceedings shall be allowed in the appellate and trial courts of record in this state subject to the conditions below. [Mississippi Rules for Electronic and Photographic Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://courts.ms.gov/research/rules/msrulesofcourt/rules_electronicphotographic_coverage.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### presiding judge discretion Scope: statewide The presiding Mississippi justice or judge may limit or terminate electronic coverage when necessary to protect rights, witnesses, dignity of the court, or orderly proceedings. Evidence excerpt: The presiding justice or judge has the discretion to limit or terminate electronic coverage at any time during the proceedings [Mississippi Rules for Electronic and Photographic Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://courts.ms.gov/research/rules/msrulesofcourt/rules_electronicphotographic_coverage.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### advance notice for media Scope: statewide Mississippi media representatives must provide advance notice for electronic or photographic coverage under the court rules. Evidence excerpt: Rule 5 ... requires that media representatives give at least 48 hours [Mississippi Rules for Electronic and Photographic Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://courts.ms.gov/research/rules/msrulesofcourt/rules_electronicphotographic_coverage.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762093) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762093) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762093) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [Judge Robert Porter Chamberlin](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762093) - [Mississippi Secretary of State Judicial Directory official judicial roster](https://www.sos.ms.gov/content/documents/ed_pubs/pubs/2026JD/JD%20and%20Court%20Calendar%202026.pdf) - [Mississippi Rules for Electronic and Photographic Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://courts.ms.gov/research/rules/msrulesofcourt/rules_electronicphotographic_coverage.pdf) - [Official biography source for Robert P. Chamberlin](https://www.sos.ms.gov/content/documents/ed_pubs/pubs/2026JD/JD%20and%20Court%20Calendar%202026.pdf) - [Wikidata: Robert P. Chamberlin](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47450647) - [Judge Robert Porter Chamberlin](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762093) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/robert-porter-chamberlin", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/robert-porter-chamberlin", "name": "Robert Porter Chamberlin | KnowJudges", "description": "Robert Porter Chamberlin, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-09", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/robert-porter-chamberlin#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/robert-porter-chamberlin#judge", "name": "Robert Porter Chamberlin", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/robert-porter-chamberlin", "jobTitle": "Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762093" ], "birthDate": "1965-04-06", "birthPlace": "Memphis", "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of Mississippi" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of Mississippi School of Law" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Mississippi", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/mississippi" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Robert Porter Chamberlin", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/robert-porter-chamberlin" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 59 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 2y | 59 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 5y | 59 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 10y | 59 | 0 | Not available | 0 | Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/ ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.