William Joseph Robertson (December 20, 1817 – May 27, 1898) was born in

Culpeper County, Virginia Culpeper County is a county located along the borderlands of the northern and central region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 52,552. Its county seat and only incorporated community is Culp ...

in 1817. He attended the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

from 1834 to 1836 and again in 1841. After graduating, he was admitted to the bar in 1843, settled in

Charlottesville Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Cha ...

to practice law, and won election as Commonwealth's Attorney for

Albemarle County, Virginia Albemarle County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is Charlottesville, which is an independent city and enclave entirely surrounded by the county. Albemarle County is part of the Char ...

in 1852. His Charlottesville home, the Judge William J. Robertson House, was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1999. Robertson prosecuted the trial of

John S. Mosby John Singleton Mosby (December 6, 1833 – May 30, 1916), also known by his nickname "Gray Ghost", was a Confederate army cavalry battalion commander in the American Civil War. His command, the 43rd Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, known as Mosb ...

, who was accused of shooting another student. Mosby claimed self-defense, but was convicted and sent to jail. Afterward, Robertson became a friend and mentor to Mosby, who kept a portrait of Robertson on the wall of his home. In 1859, Robertson was elected to the

Court of Appeals A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of t ...

on which he served until 1865, when Virginia's post-war governor declined to reappoint him to the reorganized court. In 1860, on the death of Peter V. Daniel, some Virginians lobbied for President

James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...

to select Robertson for the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

. Returning to private practice, he was attorney in many important cases involving the interests of Virginia and her citizens following the war. Most famous among these was his representation of the Lee family in the Arlington estate case. He also was known as an accomplished railroad lawyer, serving as general counsel for the Norfolk & Western and as a board member of the Chesapeake & Ohio railroads. Judge Robertson was a charter member and the first president of the

Virginia Bar Association The Virginia Bar Association (VBA) is a voluntary organization of lawyers, judges and law school faculty and students in Virginia, with offices in Richmond, Virginia. Key elements are advocacy, professionalism, service and collegiality. It provi ...

, whose first annual meeting was held at

White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia White Sulphur Springs is a city in Greenbrier County in southeastern West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,231 at the 2020 census. The city emblem consists of five dandelion flowers and the citizens celebrate spring with an annual Da ...

on August 24 and 25, 1889. In his presidential address, Robertson recommended the merger of law and equity in Virginia civil procedure,. His ideas "fell like a thunderbolt on some of his hearers," reported the editor of the ''Virginia Law Journal'', who concluded, "I doubt they will recover their serenity in a year." The merger of law and equity in Virginia was accomplished, only partially, more than 100 years after his death.Bryson, W. Hamilton
"The Merger of Common-Law and Equity Pleading in Virginia"
University of Richmond Law Review, Vol. 41, pp. 77-82, 2006.

References

1817 births 1898 deaths Virginia lawyers Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia University of Virginia alumni People from Charlottesville, Virginia People from Culpeper County, Virginia 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers {{Virginia-politician-stub Gaughan,Anthony: "The Last Battle of the Civil War."