Robert was born in Jersey City, NJ in May 1950. He completed his undergraduate work at Rutgers University in 1972 and acquired his J.D. at American University in 1975.
Robert was admitted to the Virginia Bar, Real Estate and Construction Law Sections (1975), to the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia (1976), to the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit (1977), and to the U.S. Supreme Court (1979). He was appointed as Commissioner in Chancery, Prince William County Circuit Court.
In addition to the Virginia Bar Association, Robert is also a member of the Fairfax County Bar Association and the Prince William County Bar Association, having served as its President in 1988. He is a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, as well as the Virginia Trial Lawyers of America, and currently sits on the Board of Directors for Legal Services of Virginia.
As a principal of Zelnick & Erickson, P.C., his areas of practice include Commercial Litigation, Business Litigation, Real Estate Litigation, and Civil Litigation.