Judge Ann Claire Williams: Trailblazer for Justice Across Continents

Smiling Black woman with short curly hair, wearing a turquoise blazer and ornate cat-eye glasses, cityscape background. — Judge Ann Claire Williams '75 J.D.

Retired Judge Ann Claire Williams ’75 J.D. has built a career defined by service— both at home and across the globe.

After earning her J.D. from Notre Dame Law School, Judge Williams rose through the ranks of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago before making history as the first woman of color to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. In 1999, President Bill Clinton elevated her to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, where she again broke barriers as the first judge of color to serve on that court.

Dean G. Marcus Cole reflected, “Judge Ann Claire Williams has been the model of what we mean when we say that Notre Dame produces a ‘different kind of lawyer.’ She has assembled a lifetime of pioneering accomplishments.”

Ruth Bader Ginsburg sits smiling subtly in a brown armchair, looking at a woman in a black and turquoise floral dress who gestures with raised hands, smiling broadly. They are on a stage with a blue background, a small table with flowers between them. — *Then U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Ann Claire Williams engaged in a conversation with the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at Notre Dame in 2016, covering a wide range of issues.*

She was one of the first African American women to graduate from Notre Dame Law School, the first appointed assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago, the first African American woman appointed by the President to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the first to be confirmed by the Senate to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Before law school, Williams earned degrees in education from Wayne State University and the University of Michigan and taught third grade in Detroit. That foundation in teaching and service would become a hallmark of her approach to justice. Following her graduation from Notre Dame, she clerked for Judge Robert A. Sprecher of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and later became chief of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force in Chicago.

Nominated to the federal bench by President Ronald Reagan in 1985 and later elevated by President Clinton, Judge Williams became a rare jurist to have received appointments from presidents of both major parties. Her tenure on the bench was marked by her deep respect for the rule of law, fairness in the courtroom, and a commitment to mentoring young lawyers from underrepresented backgrounds.

A smiling woman with short dark hair and large round glasses sits in a brown leather armchair, gesturing. She wears a black blazer with a white grid pattern, a blue shirt, and black pants. Ornate fluted columns are in the golden-hued background. — Judge Ann Claire Williams at the Southern District of Indiana’s Black History Month program, titled “Living History: The Black Women Judges of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals” in February 2025

Beyond her judicial accomplishments, Judge Williams has become a leader in advancing the rule of law internationally. Williams is passionate about access to justice and has worked extensively across Africa to train judges, lawyers, and court administrators in countries including Zambia, Uganda, Liberia, and Ethiopia. Through partnerships with organizations such as the U.S. State Department, Department of Justice, the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, Strathmore University, and others on the ground—including public defenders, prosecutors, and NGOs—she has led programs focused on ethics, case management, and trial advocacy. These trainings and collaborations have strengthened justice systems and promoted judicial independence across Africa.

Dean Cole noted, “Judge Williams continues to lead and inspire. Her work with lawyers and judges in Africa has made a difference for victims of domestic violence there, and she has brought modern methods of dispute resolution to remote areas of the African continent.”

Since retiring from the federal bench in 2018, Judge Williams has continued her mission serving as Of Counsel at Jones Day, where she chairs the firm’s Rule of Law Initiative in Africa. She frequently leads delegations of U.S. judges and lawyers to collaborate with African judiciaries and mentor emerging leaders who are committed to justice reform worldwide.

Dean Cole added, “Our entire strategy for legal research collaboration in Africa has drawn inspiration from her activities there, and our efforts have been aided by her connections and counsel.”

She also helped found organizations such as 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—all designed to expand opportunities for young lawyers and students of color entering the legal profession.

Hon. Ann Claire Williams, in a vibrant purple blazer, smiles between a bald man in a pinstripe suit and tie, and Fr. David T. Link in a black suit with a clerical collar. All three smile at an event. — *Judge Williams with Judge Chamblee and former Law School Dean Rev. David T. Link at the BLSA Alumni Dinner in 2013*

In 2024, the American Bar Association honored her with a Presidential Citation “for her extraordinary and tireless leadership as chair of the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary; her dedication to building a pipeline aimed at inspiring young students and increasing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and the judiciary; and her lifetime commitment and devotion to the rule of law, both at home and abroad.”

A Trustee Emerita of the University of Notre Dame, Judge Williams remains deeply connected to her alma mater. Her life’s work—on the bench, in classrooms, and across borders—embodies the spirit of a Notre Dame Lawyer: using the law as a force for good, in service of human dignity everywhere.

“Judge Williams brought modern methods of dispute resolution to remote areas of the African continent.” - Dean G. Marcus Cole