Judge Robert Richardson

For the past ten years, it has been my honor to serve as circuit judge for Greenbrier and Pocahontas Counties. This area has been home since my family moved to Lewisburg when I was four years old. I'm blessed to have been raised by two of the finest people I will ever know, and to have shared a loving home with five wonderful sisters and brothers. My father, John Richardson, worked at the power company for many years and then with Lewisburg's water department on right-of-way issues. My mom, Frances Richardson (who passed away just after Thanksgiving last year), operated a childcare service in our home. Together, they taught us the value of hard work and the importance of taking responsibility for our actions.

I graduated from Greenbrier East High School and then attended West Virginia University, where I was recognized as WVU's first recipient of the Truman Scholarship (a national award presented to recognize leadership potential in public service) and where I proudly served as the Mountaineer mascot. I attended the University of Virginia School of Law and gained valuable writing experience as an editor of the Virginia Law Review.

I began my legal career in Washington, D.C., where I worked on civil rights cases for persons with disabilities, including extensive work on behalf of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. It didn't take long for me to get homesick for the hills of West Virginia, so after three years I took a position as the managing attorney of a legal aid office in Clarksburg, and also taught as an adjunct faculty member at the WVU College of Law. A few years later, I was able to make it home to Greenbrier County, eventually opening my own law practice. I practiced law for 27 years before becoming circuit judge in 2014.

My wife Susan and I raised our two terrific daughters in this area and have watched them become responsible, caring adults. Our oldest daughter and her husband live in Frankford and are expecting our first grandchild in mid-May.   We are actively involved with our church, Rhema Christian Center. 

I am committed to serving the people of Pocahontas and Greenbrier Counties in the fair administration of justice, for the good of us all and for our future generations.