Paul Robinette
| Paul Robinette | |
|---|---|
| Law & Order character | |
 |
|
| First appearance | "Prescription for Death" (Law & Order) |
| Last appearance | "Uncertainty Principle" (Chicago Justice) |
| Portrayed by | Richard Brooks |
| Time on show | 1990–1993, 1996, 2005, 2006 |
| Seasons | 1, 2, 3, 6, 16, 17 |
| Credited appearances | 69 episodes (total) |
| Succeeded by | Claire Kincaid |
Paul Robinette, played by Richard Brooks, is a fictional character who appeared in the TV drama series Law & Order from the pilot episode in 1990 until the final episode of the third season, "Benevolence," in 1993. He is the first of the seven Assistant District Attorneys who have been featured on Law & Order, and the only male. He appeared in 69 episodes.
Robinette is introduced as having been raised in Harlem and worked his way through law school. He had the chance to work on Wall Street, but turned it down in favor of the Manhattan District Attorney's office, where he felt he could make a difference. He works under Ben Stone (Michael Moriarty). He was mentored as a teenager by Deputy Police Commander William Jefferson, who inspired him to become a lawyer. In the pilot episode, "Everybody's Favorite Bagman", however, he and Stone discover that Jefferson is corrupt, and that he conspired to murder a city councilman.
Robinette advocates racial equality through equal treatment, including equal punishment; while he abhors racism, he feels no sympathy for black people who break the law. He insists on being given the same opportunities as the equal of his white colleagues, without what he feels are added advantages from affirmative action policies. However, numerous African Americans are at odds with his role in the judicial system, creating a recurring sense of deep inner conflict for the man.
As a result, Robinette's views on race change throughout the series. In the first season episode "Out of the Half-Light", Stone asks Robinette if he thinks of himself as "a black lawyer or a lawyer who's black". Robinette at first considers himself the latter, but by the time he leaves the DA's office and becomes a defense attorney, he thinks of race as a more integral part of his reasons for practicing law.
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