ROBERT JOSEPH, a celebrated French jurist, was born at Orleans in 1699, and received his education in his native town. At an early age he turned the whole bent of his mind towards the study of law. His ready and uniting intellect, his tenacious memory, and his upright, moral character, formed a good basis for a legal reputation. Accordingly, his Pandecte Justinianae, which began to be published in 1748, and which was afterwards finished in 3 vols. in 1752, introduced him to a distinguished career. He was appointed professor of law in the university of his native city in 1749, and became an earnest and popular teacher. Pothier died in 1772.

There also issued from his pen the following series of learned works: Traité des Obligations, in 2 vols., 1761; Traité du Contrat de Foire, in 3 vols., 1762; Traité du Contrat de Commerce de Route, 1763; Traité du Contrat de Commerce, Billets de Commerce, 1763; Traité du Contrat de Louage, 1764; Traité du Contrat de Bail à rente, 1764; Traité des Chevaux, 1765; Traité des Contrats de Bienfaisance, in 2 vols., 1766-67; Traité des Contrats Afférents, in 2 vols., 1766-67; Traité du Contrat de Mariage, in 2 vols., 1768; Traité de la Communauté, in 2 vols., 1769; Traité du Domaine, 1770; Traité du Droit d'Habitation, des Donations, et du Don Mutuel, 1771; and Traité du Domaine de Propriété, de la Possession et de la Prescription, in 2 vols., 1772. After his death all his publications, with the exception of the Pandecte Justinianae, were published in a collected form in 4 vols. 4to, 1781. His posthumous works had