Robert Mainville practiced law in Montreal and represented Aboriginal peoples and First Nations for nearly thirty years. He was appointed a judge of the Federal Court of Canada in 2009. He has also lectured on Aboriginal rights in the law faculties at both McGill University and the Université du Québec á Montréal. He has written and lectured extensively on Aboriginal rights issues. He holds his first law degree from the Université de Montréal and his Masters in Law from McGill.