Greg Robertson Graduates WVU College of Law

Greg Robertson graduated from James Madison University in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary philosophy and minors in ethics and political science. He went on to graduate from the West Virginia University College of Law in 2026, and he passed the bar exam in August 2026. He now works as a public defender in West Virginia, representing clients who cannot afford counsel of their own.

Robertson largely credits the philosophy training he received from the James Madison University philosophy department with his success in law school and on the bar exam. Reading closely, following logic to its conclusion, and spotting where reasoning breaks down are all fundamental legal skills that he first developed through philosophy at JMU. Law school asks students to take apart a judicial opinion and identify exactly which step in the court's reasoning is doing the work. This is an exercise, he notes, is not far removed from sitting with a philosophical text to figure out precisely what the author meant to convey to the readers. The bar exam demanded much the same discipline under time pressure: identify the governing rule, apply it honestly to the facts given, and resist the temptation to reach a conclusion the premises do not support.

Another valuable skill he learned was how to take opposing views seriously, sincerely seeking to understand them. Philosophy requires that students understand another's view first, to determine whether they agree or disagree, and then how to bolster or attack it. Robertson strongly believes that this practice, first learned at JMU, proved essential throughout law school, on the bar exam, and in his daily work. A lawyer who cannot state the other side's best argument is not prepared to answer it. That same habit of good-faith engagement shapes how he listens to his clients, many of whom arrive at their first meeting expecting not to be heard at all. The practice of law, Robertson notes, is a human profession. What lawyers and judges do, or fail to do, gravely impact people’s lives. Learning how others think, the things they value, are critical aspects of philosophical training, and they are essential in the art of persuasion through the practice of law.

Robertson encourages current students to recognize the practical benefits of studying philosophy: precision, patience, and respect for others. They all translate directly to the practice of law. The payoff from philosophical training is immediate and deferred. Precision, patience, respect for others, and intellectual integrity are all virtues one can develop through philosophy that help one in their personal and professional lives, immediately and eventually. He is grateful to the faculty of the Department of Philosophy and Religion at James Madison University for the foundation they gave him, and he hopes other students find the same.

Congratulations, Greg!