There is an old joke about a tough college professor who put a bonus question on the test: What is the name of the man who cleans up the classroom?
Judge Julie A. Robinson would know that man's name. Not just because she is smart -- which she undoubtedly is. But she would know because she cares about people.
On the way out of the Federal Building in Topeka, where Robinson is a U.S. District Court judge, a security guard asked how the interview went. Assured that it was fine, he smiled: "She's a good judge. She's a fair judge."
An administrative assistant taking a message about the interview offered her own assurances: "You won't hear anything bad about Judge Julie."
There is an aura of warmth and kindness about Robinson that is difficult to pinpoint but seems to be felt by those who come in contact with her -- at least those not standing in front of her bench.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge John W. Lungstrum isn't stinting in his praise of Robinson. He first met Robinson when he became a judge in 1991 and she was a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's office.
Judge Robinson and peers, from left, Senior District Court Judge Richard Rogers, Magistrate Judge Gary Sebelius and bankruptcy Judge Dale Somers have a conversation during their weekly luncheon in Robinson's office.
Nick Krug/The Capital-Journal
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"The first criminal trial I ever had as a judge, she was the prosecutor in that case," he said. "She tried a number of very complicated cases in front of me, including that case which involved tax fraud, some pro se parties in it, multiple defendants, criminal conspiracy cases for drug distribution, white-collar cases, you name it, and was without question one of the finest lawyers I've ever had the pleasure to see in action, either when I was a practicing lawyer myself or as a judge. She was awesome."
Now that he's working with her as a judge, Lungstrum said he's found her to be just as delightful personally.
"I would say that she has the virtues that you would hope that a person in a position like a judge would have," he said. "That is, she is dedicated to being fair, she works very hard, she's very bright. And those things just summarize really what she's all about."
For Robinson, the call of the legal system began when she was very young.
"I'm a baby boomer and I watched television, and I knew I wanted to be a trial lawyer like Perry Mason," she said, smiling.
There were no lawyers in her family, and she didn't know any lawyers, Robinson added.
Robinson and University of Kansas law student Dane Hague, of Hoxie, review an opinion on a motion to discuss a civil case in the judge's chambers.
Nick Krug/The Capital-Journal
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But the desire was there, fed by high school debate classes and public speaking. The child of an Army father, Robinson lived many places growing up, including a time overseas. The family always called Wichita home, and they settled there when her father retired, Robinson said. It was there she went to high school, preparing for her next years at The University of Kansas, where she attained her bachelor's degree in journalism. She chose that course of study, she said, because she thought it would be important to write well in her profession.
Then came The University of Kansas School of Law.
"It was very different," Robinson recalled of her years in law school. "It calls on a different skill set than most degrees do. It teaches you how to learn and how to think."
Climbing the ladder
Clearly, she learned those lessons well. Robinson's skills took her into practice as a trial lawyer, then onto a career as a judge, first for the Tenth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel, then as a U.S. bankruptcy judge. President George W. Bush selected her for her current position as a U.S. district judge in June 2001. In April 2002, she was sworn in.
Throughout her prestigious career, Robinson was fascinated by one central aspect of the law: the people.
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Julie A. Robinson
Position: U.S. District Court judge, District of Kansas
Age: 47
Born in: Omaha, Neb.
Education: Bachelor's degree in journalism from The University of Kansas; juris doctorate KU School of Law, 1981
Describes herself: "I'm gregarious, curious, analytical."
Her worst trait: "I spread myself too thin. I overcommit. I don't like to disappoint people and take on too many things."
What makes her impatient: "Intellectual dishonesty. Don't double-talk me."
Her parents: Father died in 1997, mother still alive. "My mother wanted me to be happy. My father wanted me to be happy, and he wanted me to be a lawyer and a judge."
Favorite food: Italian
Favorite movie: "To Kill a Mockingbird"
Favorite music: Classic rhythm and blues
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"It's the human aspect, how people do things, organize themselves," she said. "It never gets boring."
She also loved -- loves -- being in the courtroom. While her first dozen trials as a lawyer were admittedly "terrifying," it was like finding the place you were meant to be.
"The years in the U.S. Attorney's Office -- it was very satisfying work, challenging and exciting," she said.
During the first eight to 10 years of her career, it wasn't just being in the courtroom that challenged Robinson.
"I think I was battling a number of things," she said. "Youth is always an obstacle. Being black was part of that, and being a woman was part of that."
In her specialty of criminal prosecution, there were few female attorneys. Robinson worked closely with law enforcement, a male-dominated profession. But she doesn't talk about any discrimination, instead focusing on how you overcome obstacles.
"If you have an innate desire to do your best and to push yourself and to work really hard, then that stuff takes care of itself," she said.
As Robinson continued to practice, the idea of being a judge began to surface.
"I wanted to be a trial court judge," she said. "I wanted to be where the action is."
Ten years after her first judgeship, Robinson is pleased with her move behind the bench.
"One thing that did surprise me when I came to the bench," she said, "I thought I would enjoy presiding over the trials far more than the research and writing."
She's found, however, that the process of "figuring things out" through research and writing appeals to her, and she likes that part just as much as being in the courtroom.
"This position was my goal," she said. "I'm very blessed. I reached the apex fairly young in life."
A full life
Being blessed carries over into other aspects of Robinson's life. Then again, it may be that her positive attitude looks for the blessings. Her Christian faith is a defining point of her personality.
"I hope, I pray that it permeates my life," she said. "It's been an important part of my development as a person, as a lawyer, as a judge. It helps me see people through a clearer lens and accept my own flaws more readily."
Her Christianity carries strongly over into her family life with her husband, Kevin Thurman, and two children, Jordan, 18, and Brooke, 13. Robinson lives in Overland Park, and the family attends church there. In her little spare time, she teaches Bible study classes.
That faith and her positive attitude helped Robinson stay balanced while raising children when she often worked more than 50 hours a week. Today, as a judge, her average workweek lasts about 50 hours, but it can stretch to 60 or 65 hours during trial.
When her children were 8 and 3, she was appointed a bankruptcy judge, and that "saved my life," Robinson said. It gave her more control over her schedule, particularly at a time when her husband was traveling two to three days per week for his work.
"I felt more challenged there (at home), probably more than at work," Robinson admitted, laughing.
Being a parent, she added, "It's a process, not an outcome. I have girlfriends in the same place. We network to help each other. You do the best you can. I think my kids are happy, and I think they've benefited from what I do."
Seeing a mother who loves her work is good for children, Robinson said.
"One thing we've tried to instill, whether they're getting paid or not, is to figure out a way to help people," she added.
Her daughter, Brooke, wants to be a cardiologist. She used to want to be a lawyer, Robinson said, but spent too much time at work with her mom, seeing that it wasn't always glamorous and a lot of time was spent at a desk reading and writing.
Jordan, who just graduated from high school, is a sports fanatic, and he plans to pursue business marketing and sports management.
Both children are on the quieter side, Robinson said.
"My son is pretty serious and introverted," she said. "In fact, everybody in my family is introverted except me."
Robinson and Thurman have been married for 16 years. He is an engineer by trade, is detail-oriented and thinks differently than Robinson, she said. Today, after being downsized out of the corporation he worked for, Thurman does a lot of volunteer work and works as a Stephens minister, which is a first-line counselor for people in crisis, Robinson said.
Between work, children, husband and church, Robinson has little time to pursue hobbies. She dreams one day of learning to play golf. She used to cross-stitch and enjoys baking and cooking for fun. It just doesn't happen anymore.
One day, it will, and she hopes to start traveling sometime in the future.
"I would like to set foot on every continent, even Antarctica," she said.
She might travel -- but she doesn't plan to ever give up her spot at the bench.
"I'll be right here at work every day for the rest of my life," she said. "I absolutely love this job. I love what I do. It was a lifetime appointment. The oldest working federal judge in this district turned 97 last week.
"I want to be trying cases and sitting right here at this desk, learning new things." hk
Morgan Chilson is a freelance writer in Topeka. She can be reached at morgan@exactlywrite.net.
