--- title: "William P. Robinson III | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/william-p-robinson-iii-justice-rhode-island-supreme-court-ri" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # William P. Robinson III Supreme Court of Rhode Island · Justice ## Profile - Court: Supreme Court of Rhode Island - State: Rhode Island - Role: Justice - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-08-22 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## 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 ## 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 ### cell phone use Scope: courtwide Rhode Island Supreme Court courthouse rules prohibit cellular telephone use in courtrooms and prohibit cell-phone camera and video use in the courthouse. Evidence excerpt: Cellular telephone use is strictly prohibited in the courtrooms. Cellular telephone camera and video is strictly prohibited in the courthouse. [Supreme Court Courthouse Rules](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Public-Resources/Documents/Your%20Day%20In%20Court/Courthouse%20Rules%20February%205,%202024.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### recording equipment Scope: courtwide Rhode Island courthouse rules list photographic and audio-visual equipment, including cameras and audio or video recorders, as prohibited items. Evidence excerpt: No photographic or audio-visual equipment of any type, including cameras, video, or audio recorders or players. [Supreme Court Courthouse Rules](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Public-Resources/Documents/Your%20Day%20In%20Court/Courthouse%20Rules%20February%205,%202024.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Opinions/Supreme-25-82.pdf) - [Official roster](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Opinions/Supreme-25-82.pdf) - [Rhode Island Judiciary official judicial roster](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Opinions/Supreme-25-82.pdf) - [Calendars and Public Access to Court Hearings](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Pages/PublicAccessCourtHearings.aspx) - [Supreme Court Courthouse Rules](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Public-Resources/Documents/Your%20Day%20In%20Court/Courthouse%20Rules%20February%205,%202024.pdf) - [Official biography source for William P. Robinson III](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Public-Resources/Documents/JudicialRoster.pdf) - [Wikidata: William P. Robinson III](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16875108) - [Supreme Court Courthouse Rules, revised February 2024](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Public-Resources/Documents/Your%20Day%20In%20Court/Courthouse%20Rules%20February%205,%202024.pdf) - [Official biography source for William P. Robinson III](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Public-Resources/Documents/JudicialRoster.pdf) - [Wikidata: William P. Robinson III](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16875108) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/william-p-robinson-iii-justice-rhode-island-supreme-court-ri", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/william-p-robinson-iii-justice-rhode-island-supreme-court-ri", "name": "William P. Robinson III | KnowJudges", "description": "William P. Robinson III, Supreme Court of Rhode Island. 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