John W. Riely was born in Jefferson County, Virginia (now in West Virginia). He first attended school in Clarke County and then at Middleway in Jefferson County. After this, he attended Winchester Seminary for several years. In order to be able to continue his education, he next clerked in a store in Winchester for two years. Resuming his studies at Brownsville High School in Rockbridge County

Rockbridge County, Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 20,808 people, 8,486 households, and 6,075 families residing in the county. The population density was 35 people per square mile . There were 9,550 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile...

, he remained there for five months before entering Washington College

Washington and Lee University

Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...

 in 1858. Three years later, in 1861, he graduated.

Before he could start the practice of law, the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 broke out and he joined with other students to form a military company. After the war, he was offered the position of Assistant Professor of Greek

Greek language

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

 at Washington and Lee but chose, instead, to study law. This he did under Major William S. Barton. He was admitted to the bar

Admission to the bar in the United States

In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...

 in 1867 and became a partner of Judge Barton. In 1868, he moved to Halifax County where he practiced law until 1894. In 1871, he became Commonwealth’s Attorney for Halifax County and held that position until he was elected to the Supreme Court of Appeals

Supreme Court of Virginia

The Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears appeals from the trial-level city and county Circuit Courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrative law cases that go through the Court of Appeals of Virginia. It is one of...

 in 1895. In 1890, Riely was a charter member of The Virginia Bar Association

Virginia Bar Association

The Virginia Bar Association is a voluntary organization of lawyers in Virginia, with offices in Richmond, Virginia.- VBA Mission : is the independent voice of the Virginia lawyer, advancing the highest ideals of the profession through advocacy and volunteer service.- History :The VBA, , was...

. Judge Riely was on the bench for five and a half years before his death.