Robert Keeton

Robert Ernest Keeton (December 16, 1919 – July 2, 2007) was an American lawyer, jurist, and legal scholar. As a law professor at Harvard Law School and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts he was known for his work on torts, insurance law, and practical courtroom tactics. Keeton, with Jeffrey O'Connell of the University of Virginia School of Law, played a key role in the advancement of no-fault automobile insurance. Keeton earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin and his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Texas School of Law. He also presided over the 1995 Lotus Dev. Corp. v. Borland Int'l, Inc. trial involving the extent of software copyright, a case that later was decided by the Supreme Court. In 1984 Keeton, along with older brother Page as lead author, and professors Dan Dobbs and David Owen, published the 5th edition of Prosser and Keeton on Torts. The book, based on William Prosser's influential Prosser on Torts, became a foundational text of tort law and has become frequently used as a law textbook and reference work for many law students, lawyers, and jurists.

Death

Keeton died of complications of a pulmonary embolism in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he lived. He was 87.