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Sens. Warner and Webb Announce Richmond Courthouse Designation for Judges Spottswood W. Robinson III and Robert Merhige, Jr.

Senators John Warner (R-VA) and Jim Webb (D-VA) today applauded the Senate’s unanimous passage of a bill to name new Federal Courthouse in Richmond, Virginia after Judges Spottswood W. Robinson III and Robert Merhige, Jr.  The measure, sponsored by both Senators, passed on Tuesday evening in the Senate.

“The Robinson-Merhige Federal Courthouse is a magnificent structure named for two legal giants - both jurists - who adhere to the principles of ‘equal justice under law’” said Warner. “I thank Senator Webb for accompanying me on this important legislation that recognizes these pivotal figures in civil rights history."

“Judges Spottswood Robinson, III and Robert Merhige, Jr. are two of Virginia’s most distinguished citizens. I’m proud to have worked with Senator Warner to name the Richmond Courthouse for these men,” said Webb. “This recognition is an appropriate way to honor the pivotal roles that Judge Robinson and Judge Merhige, Jr. played in moving forward our nation’s civil rights debate.”

Robinson was one of the key attorneys for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund from 1948 to 1960, achieving national acclaim with his representation of the Virginia plaintiffs in the 1954 landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education. This decision declared “separate but equal schools” unconstitutional. After his work with the NAACP, Judge Robinson became the first African-American to be appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 1964, eventually becoming a justice for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1966, and later Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Circuit in 1981.

Further, Merhige was appointed Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia where he served for 30 years. While on the federal bench, Merhige presided over important litigation, namely ordering the University of Virginia to admit women, and later ruling in favor of desegregation of a dozen Virginia school districts. His courage in the face of significant opposition is testament to his dedication to the rule of law.

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