Armistead Mason Dobie

Armistead Mason Dobie (April 15, 1881 – August 7, 1962) was a law professor, Dean of the University of Virginia School of Law, United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia.

Education and career

Born in Norfolk, Virginia, Dobie received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia in 1901, a Master of Arts degree from the same institution in 1902, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1904. He was in private practice in St. Louis, Missouri from 1904 to 1907, serving as an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia School of Law in 1907, and as a full professor from 1909 to 1939. He then returned to the University of Virginia School of Law and served as its Dean from 1932 to 1939. Dobie "is credited with first introducing the case method of instruction to Virginia." He was widely published on a variety of legal and non-legal topics, and was an expert on federal court jurisdiction, and a member of the original drafting committee of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Federal judicial service

A dispute between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Virginia's senators Carter Glass and Harry F. Byrd Sr., resulted in the rejection of Roosevelt's recess appointment of Floyd H. Roberts to a newly created seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia. Then Solicitor General Robert H. Jackson recalled that Roosevelt "thought Glass and Byrd would support Dobie and thereby break the deadlock without loss of face to anybody." Moreover, Roosevelt authorized Jackson to put out the word that Roosevelt would support Dobie for an upcoming vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. When Jackson went to meet with Dobie at the Farmington Country Club, Dobie agreed to the President's offer, and soon thereafter Senators Glass and Byrd offered their support. Another account relates Judge Dobie's appointment this way: "Years earlier, Roosevelt's son wanted to attend the University of Virginia, and Judge Dobie helped him gain admission. Thus, although Roosevelt had previously promised the next Fourth Circuit opening to Senator Byrnes of South Carolina, the President had to back out of that promise in order to reward Judge Dobie for his efforts on behalf of Roosevelt's son." A fourth seat on the Court was not added until 1961. "Judge Dobie sat for over 1400 Fourth Circuit cases, yet he authored only six dissents. However, as a remarkable testament to Judge Dobie's legal mind, the United States Supreme Court adopted the reasoning of four of his six dissents when the Court subsequently overruled the Fourth Circuit majority in those particular cases."