Having founded the firm of Bannatynes & Kirkwood in 1839 in his late twenties, he was appointed to the chair in 1862, holding it until 1867.

In 1878, whilst Secretary of Court, he and John Veitch, the Professor of Logic and Rhetoric, raised the funds to buy the library of Sir William Hamilton, to whom Veitch had previously been an assistant in the latter's post as Professor of Logic and Metaphysics in the University of Edinburgh.

He too was Dean of the Faculty of Procurators, from 1885 to 1889, was awarded an LLD by the university in 1868, and was knighted in 1889, shortly before his death.

[5] The Sir James Roberton Memorial Prize, founded in 1955, is awarded annually for distinction in the class of History of Scots Law.

[7] The fourth occupant was William Sharp McKechnie, previously a lecturer in Constitutional Law and History and author of Magna Carta: A Commentary on the Great Charter of King John with an Historical Introduction.

He held the chair until 1927, and on his retirement was awarded an honorary LLD[8] He was replaced by John Girvan, partner in the firm of McClure, Naismith, Brodie & Co., who was elected Dean of the Faculty of Procurators in 1940, and remained in the chair until his death in 1946.

He began his legal career as an apprentice in the firm of Bishop, Milne & Boyd where the then Professor Halliday was a partner.