William P. Robinson III at a glance
- Current role
- Justice
- Jurisdiction
- Rhode Island · State
- Judicial service
- Active
William P. Robinson III
Justice · Supreme Court of Rhode Island
Biography
Professional career
- American lawyer, academic, and jurist who has held the role of Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court since September 7, 2004
- Governor Donald Carcieri appointed Robinson to the Rhode Island Supreme Court in 2004, succeeding Justice Robert Flanders
- First Circuit law clerk for two years
- Litigation attorney and partner at Edwards & Angell for more than 27 years
Education
- United States Army War College
- Boston College Law School — bio-41ec22c5b744; user_supplied_research
- Ph.D. in French and Spanish literature — University of Connecticut — bio-41ec22c5b744; user_supplied_research
- University of Rhode Island — bio-41ec22c5b744; user_supplied_research
- University of Louvain — bio-41ec22c5b744; user_supplied_research
Additional information
- William P. Robinson III joined the Rhode Island Supreme Court after legislative confirmation on July 30, 2004.
- After a clerkship with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (1975–1977), Robinson joined Edwards & Angell in Providence, where he practiced litigation for 27 years, specializing in First Amendment and media defense cases.
- Date of birth: 1940-01-30
- Unanimously confirmed by the General Assembly
- Robinson continues to serve as a lifetime-appointed justice on the Rhode Island Supreme Court, with jurisdiction over statewide legal matters.
- His education includes degrees from the University of Louvain and University of Rhode Island, a University of Connecticut doctorate in French and Spanish literature, and Boston College Law School.
- He clerked for the First Circuit and spent more than 27 years in litigation at Edwards & Angell.
- He also held the role of chairman of the Rhode Island Federal Board of Bar Examiners
- Birth place: Providence
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Cell Phone Use
Courtwide
Rhode Island Supreme Court courthouse rules prohibit cellular telephone use in courtrooms and prohibit cell-phone camera and video use in the courthouse.
Cellular telephone use is strictly prohibited in the courtrooms. Cellular telephone camera and video is strictly prohibited in the courthouse.Supreme Court Courthouse Rules ↗
Recording and broadcasting
Courtwide
Rhode Island courthouse rules list photographic and audio-visual equipment, including cameras and audio or video recorders, as prohibited items.
No photographic or audio-visual equipment of any type, including cameras, video, or audio recorders or players.Supreme Court Courthouse Rules ↗
Sources
Identity source checked August 22, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 2, 2026.
Rhode Island Judiciary official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 22, 2026
View Rhode Island Judiciary official judicial roster ↗Calendars and Public Access to Court Hearings
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Calendars and Public Access to Court Hearings ↗Supreme Court Courthouse Rules
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Supreme Court Courthouse Rules ↗Official biography source for William P. Robinson III
Identity source · PDF · Source checked August 2, 2026
View Official biography source for William P. Robinson III ↗Wikidata: William P. Robinson III
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View Wikidata: William P. Robinson III ↗Supreme Court Courthouse Rules, revised February 2024
Identity source · PDF · Source checked October 3, 2026
View Supreme Court Courthouse Rules, revised February 2024 ↗