Attorney David A. Robinson has decided to retire from law practice in Massachusetts, although he will continue to handle one case for one client in Massachusetts.  It is an extremely complicated case and, due to its complexity and David's familiarity with its complexities, his client has requested that David continue to handle it rather than trying to get some other lawyer to handle it. 

David's reasons for retiring from law practice in Massachusetts are as follows.  First, he no longer lives in Massachusetts.  He got married in 2003 and moved into his wife’s home in southern Connecticut, some 65 miles from Springfield.  He thereafter commuted to Springfield, but he no longer enjoys this commute.  He wants to work in southern Connecticut. 

Second, he is disappointed that his book, A Legal and Ethical Handbook for Ending Discrimination in the Workplace, published by Paulist Press in 2003, did not sell better.  The book is based on his many years of experience as a management-side (he represents employers; he rarely represents employees) labor lawyer.  One reason he stayed in law practice in Massachusetts for so long is that he was hoping his book would be a big seller and that he could go on a book tour around the country preaching his ideas and methods for ending discrimination in the workplace, using his Springfield office as a base for a national tour.  For whatever reason, the book has not sold well.  David is not exactly sure why the book has not sold well.  But whatever the reason, he sees no reason to continue to practice law in Springfield (except to finish handling that one case), and, quite frankly, he isn’t sure he wants to continue to practice law at all (except that he will continue to handle that one case).  Maybe, after 31 years in law practice, it is time to try something else.  He hasn’t decided yet.  In the meantime, he is employed as a part-time professor at the University of New Haven, where he teaches two courses for MBA students.  He enjoys teaching very much. 

David will continue to be a member in good standing of the Massachusetts Bar even if he decides not to practice law at all anymore. 

Here is a recap of David's life and career to date (as of March 2008). 

David A. Robinson was born in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1953. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics from George Washington University in 1974 and a law degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 1977. He was a senior editor of the law review at Washington U. He was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1977 and has practiced law in Springfield since then. He was a general practitioner from 1977 to 1991 and has been a labor law specialist since 1991. He has been a solo practitioner for nearly his entire career.

David is currently (March 2008) an adjunct professor at the University of New Haven (UNH).  He teaches two courses in UNH's MBA program: Business & Society (Economics 629) and Business Law and the Regulatory Environment (LA 674). From 2001 to 2005 he was a senior lecturer at Western New England College School of Business, where he taught the undergraduate business law course and the MBA-level business law course. From 1979 to 1982 he was an adjunct professor at Western New England College School of Law, where he taught the legal ethics course. In 2000 he taught the labor relations course at Westfield State College. 

David did not get married until he was 50 years old.  He married a widow named Esther, and, as stated above, they live in Connecticut. 

Here is a list of David's books, articles, reported appellate cases pertaining to employment law, and speaking engagements pertaining to employment law:

REPORTED (PUBLISHED) APPELLATE CASES PERTAINING TO EMPLOYMENT LAW 

Stonehill College v. Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, 441 Mass. 549, 808 N.E.2d 205 (2004)

O'Brien v. Town of Agawam, 350 F.3d 279 (1st Cir. 2003)

Dalrymple v. Town of Winthrop, 50 Mass. App. Ct. 611, 740 N.E.2d 204 (2000), review denied, 434 Mass. 1101, 751 N.E.2d 418 (2001)

Armstrong v. Jefferson Smurfit Corp., 30 F.3d 11 (1st Cir. 1994)

Draghetti v. Chmielewski, 416 Mass. 808, 626 N.E.2d 862 (1994) 

(David was appellate counsel only, not trial counsel, in the Stonehill College, Dalrymple, and Draghetti cases.)

BOOKS

David A. Robinson, A Legal and Ethical Handbook for Ending Discrimination in the Workplace (New York: Paulist Press 2003; ISBN No. 0-8091-4138-8)

David A. Robinson, Practicing Law Without Clients: Making a Living as a Freelance Lawyer (Chicago: American Bar Association 1996; ISBN No. 1-57073-403-8) (book explains how lawyers who enjoy legal research and writing more than they enjoy dealing with clients can earn money doing legal research and writing for other lawyers) 

ARTICLES ON LEGAL TOPICS

David A. Robinson, "Caps Are Needed on Emotional Distress Damages," Business West (monthly newspaper in western Massachusetts), June 1999, at 50

David A. Robinson, “Ending the ‘Pretext Only/Pretext Plus’ Debate” (discussion of “pretext” in employment discrimination law) 

Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, Aug. 17, 1998, at 11

David A. Robinson, “Discovery of the Plaintiff’s Mental Health

History in an Employment Discrimination Case,”

16 Western New England Law Review 55 (1994)

David A. Robinson, “The ‘56’ Olympics: Clearing the Summary

Judgment Hurdle After Hicks, Ramsdell, and LeBlanc”

Massachusetts Bar Association Labor and Employment Section

News, Dec. 1993

David A. Robinson, “Let’s Cure Referencephobia”

(an article about giving job references)

Business West, Feb. 1993

David A. Robinson, “Both Sides Now: Executive Women

and Employment Discrimination”

Women Unlimited (monthly magazine in western Massachusetts),

Nov. 1992

David A. Robinson, “Age Discrimination: A Short Guide

and a Practical Tip”

Chamber Channels (Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce

newsletter), June 1992

David A. Robinson, “Dissenters Need Not Apply: Private Employees

and Free Speech”

Massachusetts Bar Association Labor and Employment Section

News, April 1992

David A. Robinson, "Redefining the Advocate's Role: A Contract

Theory of Legal Ethics"

3 Western New England Law Review 409 (1981)

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS ON EMPLOYMENT LAW

Oct. 21, 1997 National Employment Lawyers Association, Boston

   Topic: Defamation in the Workplace

June 4, 1997 Council on Education in Management, Springfield, Mass.

   Topic: Interviewing Job Applicants, Checking

   References, and Pre-Employment Testing

Mar. 25, 1997 Massachusetts Bar Association Labor and

Employment Section, Springfield, Mass.

   Topic: The Three Hats of the Employment Lawyer—

   Legal Counselor, Career Counselor, Psychological

   Counselor

Jan. 15, 1997 Council on Education in Management,

Springfield, Mass.

   Topic: Sexual Harassment

Sept. 26, 1996 Council on Education in Management, Springfield, Mass.

   Topic: Advanced ADA—Reasonable Accommodation

   from A to Z

Mar. 19, 1996 Council on Education in Management,

Springfield, Mass.

   Topic: Stress and Mental Disorder—

   New Responsibilities for Employers Under the ADA

Sept. 13, 1995 Council on Education in Management,

Springfield, Mass.

   Topic: Reinstate or Terminate—Making the Right Choice

   Under Disability and Leave Laws Today

May 3, 1995 Massachusetts Bar Association Labor and

Employment Section, Boston, Mass.

   Topic: Mental Impairments and the Handicap

   Discrimination Laws

Apr. 5, 1995 Massachusetts Bar Association Labor and

Employment Section, Springfield, Mass.

   Topic: Reducing the Level of Acrimony in Employment

   Disputes

Feb. 16, 1995 Chicopee Chamber of Commerce,

Chicopee, Mass.

   Topic: Drug Testing in the Workplace

Dec. 7, 1994 Massachusetts Bar Association Labor and

Employment Section, Springfield, Mass.

   Topic: Summary Judgment in Employment Cases

May 18, 1994 Massachusetts Bar Association 15th Annual

Labor and Employment Conference, Boston, Mass.

   Topic: Recent Statutory and Regulatory Developments in

   Employment Law

Nov. 13, 1993 Elms College, Chicopee, Mass.

   Topic: The Americans With Disabilities Act

OTHER WORK

David has dabbled in some careers besides law practice.  

In 1982, he ran for the Massachusetts Senate.  He ran as a

Republican.  He won the Republican primary but lost the

general election.  Sometime around 1990, he became a

Democrat, and he remained a Democrat throughout the 1990s. 

Now, in 2008, he is basically an Independent.  From January

1987 to November 1988, he was a part-time legal commentator

and political reporter for WWLP TV (Channel 22), the NBC

affiliate in Springfield, Mass.  From August 1990 to May 1992,

he was a part-time regulatory compliance analyst for Aetna Life

& Casualty Company in Hartford, Conn.