Hon. Ann Claire Williams (Ret.), a trailblazer and leader, heads Jones Day's efforts to advance the rule of law in Africa. Devoted to promoting the effective delivery of justice worldwide, particularly in Africa, she has partnered with judiciaries, attorneys, NGOs, and the U.S. Departments of Justice and State to lead training programs in Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. She also has taught at the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.
President Ronald Reagan nominated her in 1985 to the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, making her the first woman of color to serve on a district court in the three-state Seventh Circuit. In 1999, President William Clinton's nomination made her the first judge of color to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the third Black woman to serve on any federal circuit court. She brings her vast experience on the bench to serve as a resource for the Firm's leading trial and appellate practices.
She has served on many judicial committees and, as treasurer and president of the Federal Judges Association, was the first person of color to become an officer. Committed to public interest work, she helped found Just The Beginning — A Pipeline Organization, the Black Women Lawyers' Association of Chicago, Minority Legal Education Resources, and the Public Interest Fellowship Program for Equal Justice Works. She serves on the boards of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, iCivics, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Weinstein International Foundation, Museum of Science & Industry Chicago, University of Notre Dame (emeritus), and National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) (emeritus), the Board of Counselors for Equal Justice Works, and chairs the Advisory Board of the International Law Institute-South African Centre for Excellence. She is also chair of the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary for 2021-2022, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024.
- August 1, 2024
American Bar Association Presidential Citation honoree and speaker, 2024 ABA Annual Meeting - March 5, 2024
Fireside Chat with Judge Ann Claire Williams (Ret.) in honor of Women's History Month, moderated by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul - August 14, 2023
National Black Prosecutors Association Conference Thurgood Marshall Award honoree and keynote - August 2, 2023
Success in Law School and Beyond, opening remarks for Jumpstart pre-law school orientation program - July 23, 2023
Banking Mediation Advocacy, Nairobi, Kenya - May 18, 2023
Legal Prep Charter Academy honoree, keynote - April 18, 2023
Lessons in Leadership, second annual Robert A. Katzmann Lecture at New York University School of Law - April 13, 2023
Banking and Mediation: Leading the Way Mediation Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, planning group member and moderator - April 1, 2023
Road to the Robe Judges' Panel, moderator, National Summit of Black Women Lawyers - January 31, 2023
The Eradicate Hate Global Summit as a New Paradigm for Elevating the Role of Lawyers in the Community, CLE, Atlanta, GA - January 6, 2023
Diversifying Law Schools and the Legal Profession, Association of American Law Schools Annual Meeting - November 11, 2022
Coming Full Circle: Changing the Face of Justice in African Countries, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law and Weinstein International Foundation, International Stalemate – Dispute Resolution and Diplomacy Conference - October 21, 2022
Legends and Firsts: A Conversation with Judge Ann Claire Williams (Ret.), Just The Beginning - A Pipeline Organization 12th National Conference - October 20, 2022
A Conversation with U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, moderator, Just The Beginning - A Pipeline Organization 12th National Conference - October 17, 2022
Women, Technology & Access to Justice, moderator, Institute for African Women in Law in collaboration with Barefoot Law and Commonwealth Secretariat - September 19, 2022
Eradicate Hate Global Summit 2022, speaker and moderator - September 14, 2022
Special Session of Court in Honor of the Honorable Constance Baker Motley's 100th Birthday, speaker - August 18, 2022
White House Fellows’ Speaker Series, featured speaker - July 22, 2022
A Conversation with Judge Ann Claire Williams (Ret.) for Law Students, Strathmore Law School, Nairobi, Kenya - July 19, 2022
A Global Challenge: Judicial Performance, Misconduct and Accountability, CEELI Institute conference, Nairobi, Kenya - June 2, 2022
A Conversation with Trailblazer and Leader Judge Ann Claire Williams (Ret.), University of Notre Dame Law School, moderated by Dean G. Marcus Cole - February 24, 2022
Ida Platt Forum featured speaker, Chicago Kent College of Law - February 23, 2022
A Conversation with Historymaker Hon. Ann Claire Williams, Northwestern School of Law - February 16, 2022
Notre Dame Law School Black History Month Panel Discussion, panelist - February 15, 2022
34th Annual Damon J. Keith Soul Food Luncheon, keynote speaker - January 24, 2022
Road to the Robe, panelist, National Bar Association - January 13, 2022
The Legal Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., panelist, Houston Young Lawyers Association - September 16, 2021
A Conversation with Judge Ann Claire Williams (Ret): Insights and Lessons Learned, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law Dean's Speaker Series, Diversity Week - August 10, 2021
The Crucial Role of Forensic Evidence: A Judicial Perspective, Lagos (Nigeria) Forensic Symposium - August 3, 2021
A Conversation with Justice Mary Sey, Justice of the Supreme Court of Gambia, Institute for African Women in Law - July 26, 2021
A Conversation with Justice Florence Mumba, judge of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia and former Zambia Supreme Court justice, Institute for African Women in Law - May 20, 2021
A Conversation with Justice Monica Mugenyi, East African Court of Justice, Institute for African Women in Law - May 18, 2021
A Conversation with Justice Yvonne Mokgoro, former justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, Institute for African Women in Law - May 13, 2021
Just the Beginning-A Pipeline Organization Education & Mentorship Roundtable, panelist - May 6, 2021
A Conversation with Judge Nkemdilim Izuako, United Nations Dispute Tribunal, Institute for African Women in Law - April 29, 2021
Building a Pipeline: A Focus From the Beginning, Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism The Future Is Now Conference - April 26, 2021
A Conversation with Judge Memooda Ebrahim-Carstens, United Nations Dispute Tribunal, Institute for African Women in Law - April 20, 2021
A Conversation with Justice Joyce Aluoch, former judge of the International Criminal Court and of the Kenya Court of Appeal, Institute for African Women in Law - April 7, 2021
Appealing for Change: Diversifying the Appellate Bar, American Constitution Society and Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law panel - April 6, 2021
A Conversation with Judge Julia Sebutinde, International Court of Justice, Institute for African Women in Law - March 25, 2021
A Conversation with Chief Justice Irene Mambilima, Zambia Supreme Court, African Institute for Women in Law - February 26, 2021
Judicial Trailblazers and the Hills They've Climbed: A Discussion with Preeminent African-American Judges and Their Challenges and Triumphs, American Bar Association - February 24, 2021
Black History Month speaker, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois - February 17, 2021
A Conversation with Judge Ann Claire Williams (Ret.), University of Southern California Gould School of Law Black Law Students Association - February 16, 2021
A Conversation with Justice Mumbi Ngugi (Kenya), Northwestern Law School Global Jurist of the Year Award recipient, moderator - February 10, 2021
The Road to the Federal Bench, Cook County Bar Association, moderator - February 9, 2021
Celebration of Black History Month: A Discussion with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Chicago Federal Bar Association, moderator - January 12, 2021
Police Reform: Legal Profession Effecting Change, Jones Day University - November 12, 2020
The State of the Nation: Post-Election 2020, ChIPs (Chiefs in Intellectual Property) and Corporate Counsel Women of Color Roundtable - November 12, 2020
A Conversation with the Judiciary: Re-Imagining Diversity in Local and Federal Courts, Greater Washington Area Chapter, Women Lawyers Division of the National Bar Association - November 6, 2020
Pepperdine Caruso School of Law Inaugural Black Women & the Law Summit - October 29, 2020
Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World, moderator, Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center event - October 23, 2020
A Conversation with 82nd U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair, moderator - October 22, 2020
Promoting Social Justice Initiatives During These Uncertain Times, Association of Corporate Counsel San Diego - October 19, 2020
The Life and Legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Illinois Appellate Lawyers Association - September 17, 2020
Governing for the People: Leadership in an Age of Inequality, Interview of Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, The American Dream Reconsidered conference, moderator - August 26, 2020
A Judge's Journey, Minority Corporate Counsel Association event - August 20, 2020
Diversifying Your Clerks: The Way to a More Diverse Appellate Bar, National Foundation for Judicial Excellence Sixteenth Annual Judicial Symposium - August 18, 2020
Seneca Women’s Fast Forward Women’s Leadership Forum at the New York Stock Exchange, panelist - July 31, 2020
Mediation and Arbitration in the Times of Covid-19, Barefoot Law (Uganda) and Strathmore University (Kenya) speaker series - July 28, 2020
Hail to the Chiefs, Panel of Black Chief Judges and Justices at National Bar Association 95th Annual Conference, Moderator - July 21, 2020
Democracy and the Rule of Law in the Age of Covid-19, Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law webinar - June 17, 2020
Black Lives Matter and the Criminal Justice System: A Conversation with the Bench - June 16, 2020
A Practical Guide to Building a Diverse and Inclusive Legal Team - June 11, 2020
Standing Up and Speaking Out, a joint event with ChIPs (Chiefs in Intellectual Property) and Corporate Counsel Women of Color - June 5, 2020
Mediating This Moment, a Straus Center for Dispute Resolution Global Community Conversation - February 20, 2020
A Conversation with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul - November 22, 2019
Justice, Jurisprudence, and the Law: Emerging Legal Trends and Jurisprudence on Development, International Commission of Jurists (Kenya) conference - November 5, 2019
American Heart Association Counsel for a Cause Hasbrouck Heart Award recipient, keynote - October 17, 2019
Posse Foundation Chicago Power of 10 Honoree, keynote - July 26, 2019
American Bar Association Federal Trials Institute for Teachers - July 11, 2019
A View from the Bench, Coalition of Women's Initiatives in Law - June 25, 2019
Justice in Our Hands, reception hosted by U.S. Ambassador Lisa Johnson in Windhoek, Namibia - June 12, 2019
Rule of Law Initiatives and Developments in Africa - June 11, 2019
The Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Distinguished Lecture on Women and the Law - May 29, 2019
Weinstein International Foundation and Strathmore Dispute Resolution Centre International Mediation Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, coordinator and moderator - May 18, 2019
DePaul Law School, commencement speaker - May 14, 2019
Law Day Dinner benefiting Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, keynote - May 14, 2019
What Judges Want CLE - March 20, 2019
Judicial Firsts: Trailblazers on the Federal Bench, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois - March 19, 2019
Women in White Collar Defense Association Judges’ Panel - March 12, 2019
Standing Up for Justice, Reception Hosted by U.S. Ambassador Stephanie Sullivan in Accra, Ghana to Honor Judge Ann Claire Williams (Ret.) and Ghanaian Justice Sector Leaders - February 27, 2019
A Conversation with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, moderator - February 22, 2019
Mediation in a Globalized World: The Relevance of Mediation in a Global Economy, Weinstein International Foundation Regional Conference in Lima, Peru - February 11, 2019
Blazing Trails: The Road Toward Justice, A Conversation with Former Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and Judge Ann Claire Williams (Ret.) - November 16, 2018
Gazelle Fountain Launch Event for Women in Leadership, Nairobi, Kenya, keynote - November 15, 2018
The Light of Justice, Reception Hosted by U.S. Ambassador Robert Godec during Lawyers Without Borders training program in Nairobi, Kenya - November 7, 2018
Ethical Aspects Relating to Legal Aid Funding; IDLO, East African Community, and National Legal Aid Service Access to Justice Through Legal Aid Conference - November 2, 2018
Women’s Bar Foundation Scholarship Award Luncheon, honoree and keynote - October 26, 2018
A Conversation with Former U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates: Unlocking Justice, Equal Justice Works Conference, moderator - September 21, 2018
The Justice System and the Public Trust, Dallas Bar Association Diversity Summit - September 12, 2018
A Conversation with Eric Holder: Public Service and Civil Rights, American Dream Reconsidered Conference, moderator - September 6, 2018
Creating an Enabling Environment for Innovation in Africa's Burgeoning Private Sector, International Law Institute-African Centre for Legal Excellence Celebration of 20 Years in Africa, Kampala, Uganda - July 26, 2018
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Cyberspace, Strathmore Institute of Advanced Studies in Criminal Justice Conference in Nairobi, Kenya - July 25, 2018
Making Impossible Dreams Possible, Reception Hosted by U.S. Ambassador Robert Godec to Honor Judge Ann Claire Williams (Ret.), Nairobi, Kenya - July 10, 2018
A Conversation with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Loyola University Chicago Rome Campus, moderator - June 21, 2018
LAF/Legal Aid Chicago Annual Luncheon, Champion for Justice Honoree, keynote - June 8, 2018
Advancing the Rule of Law in Africa and Beyond: Opportunities and Ethical Challenges, Jones Day University - April 21, 2018
James C. Kimbrough Bar Association Annual Legacy Ball, honoree and keynote - March 27, 2018
Cook County Bar Association Legends Luncheon, honoree and keynote - March 22, 2018
The Role of Women in Promoting the Rule of Law in Africa, U.S. Department of State
- University of Notre Dame (J.D. 1975); University of Michigan (M.A. in Guidance and Counseling 1972); Wayne State University (B.S. in Elementary Education 1970)
- Illinois, Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- Judge: U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit (1999-2018) and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (1985-1999); served with the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois (1976-1985) as Chief, Organized Drug Enforcement Task Force (1983-1985), Deputy Chief, Criminal Receiving and Appellate Division (1980-1983), and Assistant U.S. Attorney (1976-1980)
Recipient of numerous awards and honors, including: Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award; ABA's Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award; National Bar Association's Gertrude E. Rush Award; National Association of Women Lawyers' Arabella Babb Mansfield Award; Association of Corporate Counsel Chicago Chapter's Thurgood Marshall Award; Chicago Lawyer "Person of the Year"; Newsweek Daily Beast's "150 Fearless Women in the World"
- Law Clerk to Judge Robert A. Sprecher, U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit (1975-1976)