The probable next justice on the Connecticut Supreme Court is known among appellate lawyers for being a tough jurist who is not afraid to mix it up in the most intricate of legal arguments.

Gov. Dannel Malloy’s nominee for the state’s highest court, Appellate Court Judge Richard A. Robinson, started out representing the city of Stamford in employment law and building code matters more than 20 years ago, and later established himself as a judge of many talents.