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Ann Williams (Federal judge)
Ann Williams was a federal judge on senior status with the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. She joined the court in 1999 after being nominated by President Bill Clinton. Prior to joining the Seventh Circuit, Williams served on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.[1] Williams retired from senior status on January 16, 2018.
Early life and education
A native of Detroit, Michigan, Williams graduated from Wayne State University with her bachelor's degree in 1970 and from the University of Michigan with her master's degree in 1972. Williams earned her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1975.[1]
Professional career
- 1999 - 2017: United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
- 2017 - 2018: Senior judge
- 1999-2017: Judge
- 1985-1999: Judge, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- 1979 - Present: Adjunct professor and lecturer, John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Ill.
- 1979 - Present: Adjunct professor and lecturer, Northwestern University Law School, Evanston, Ill.
- 1976-1985: Assistant U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Illinois
- 1980-1983: Deputy chief, Criminal receiving and appellate division
- 1983-1985: Chief, Organized crime drug enforcement task force, Northern Central region
- 1975-1976: Law clerk, Hon. Robert Sprecher, United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit[1]
Judicial nominations and appointments
7th Circuit Court of Appeals
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Ann C. Williams |
| Court: United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 97 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: August 5, 1999
|
| ABA Rating: Unanimously Well Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: |
| Hearing: October 26, 1999
|
| QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: November 4, 1999
|
| Confirmed: November 10, 1999
|
| Vote: Voice vote
|
Williams was nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit by President Bill Clinton on August 5, 1999, to a seat vacated by Judge Walter J. Cummings Jr. The American Bar Association rated Williams Unanimously Well Qualified for the nomination.[2] Hearings on Williams' nomination were held before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on October 26, 1999, and her nomination was reported by U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on November 4, 1999. Williams was confirmed by the Senate on November 10, 1999, on a voice vote and she received her commission on November 15, 1999. Williams elected to take senior status beginning on June 5, 2017.[1][3] Williams retired from senior status on January 16, 2018.
Northern District of Illinois
Williams was first nominated to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by President Ronald Reagan on October 5, 1984, to a new judgeship created by 98 Stat. 353. Under Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the standing rules of the Senate, her nomination was returned to President Reagan on October 18, 1984. President Reagan resubmitted her nomination on March 13, 1985. Hearings on her nomination were held before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 26, 1985, and her nomination was reported by U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) on April 3, 1985; she was confirmed by the Senate the same day. Judge Williams received her commission on April 4, 1985, and she served on the district court until November 17, 1999, when she resigned upon her elevation to the Seventh Circuit. Williams was succeeded in this position by Judge Joan Lefkow.[1][4][5]
Pathways to the bench
Judge Hopkins was featured in the U.S. Courts "Pathways to the Bench" education program.
Potential Supreme Court nominee
It was reported in the April 21, 2010, edition of The Los Angeles Times that Judge Williams was on a list of ten potential candidates who could succeed Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. Judge Williams was the first African-American to ever be confirmed to be a District Judge in the Seventh Circuit after President Ronald Reagan nominated her to the Northern District of Illinois in 1985.
Also, Williams earned the distinction as the first African-American to be elevated to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in 1993 when President Bill Clinton nominated Williams.[6]
Awards and associations
- 2009: Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award, American Judicature Society[7]
See also
- United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Judge Ann Claire Williams," accessed June 23, 2017
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 106th Congress," accessed May 31, 2016
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 489 - Ann Claire Williams - The Judiciary," accessed May 31, 2016
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 132 - Ann C. Williams - The Judiciary," accessed May 31, 2016
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 489 - Ann Claire Williams - The Judiciary," accessed May 31, 2016
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Black female judge, a former third-grade teacher, makes Supreme Court nominee list," April 21, 2010
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Devitt Award"
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: New seat (98 Stat. 353) |
Northern District of Illinois 1985–1999 Seat #18 |
Succeeded by: Joan Humphrey Lefkow |
| Preceded by: Walter Cummings |
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals 1999–2017 |
Succeeded by: Amy St. Eve
|
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges |
Chief Judge: Virginia Kendall • Robert Dow • Sharon Coleman • Edmond E. Chang • Jorge L. Alonso • Franklin U. Valderrama • John Tharp, Jr. • Mary Rowland • Sara Lee Ellis • Andrea R. Wood • Manish Shah • Iain D. Johnston • John Robert Blakey • LaShonda A. Hunt • Martha Pacold • Steven Seeger • John Kness • Jeffrey Cummings • Sunil Harjani • Lindsay Jenkins • Jeremy Daniel • Georgia Alexakis • April Perry | ||
| Senior judges |
Marvin Aspen • Elaine Bucklo • Suzanne Conlon • Robert Gettleman • Joan Gottschall • Ronald Guzman • Frederick Kapala • Matthew Kennelly • Charles Kocoras • Joan Lefkow • George Marovich • Charles Norgle • Rebecca Pallmeyer • Philip Reinhard • James Zagel • Thomas M. Durkin • | ||
| Magistrate judges | Jeffrey Cole • Susan Cox • Maria Valdez • Sheila Finnegan • Jeffrey Gilbert • Young Kim (Illinois) • Daniel G. Martin • David Weisman • Gabriel Fuentes • Lisa Jensen • Beth Jantz • Heather McShain • Margaret Schneider • | ||
| Former Article III judges |
James Holderman • Wayne Andersen • Ruben Castillo • David Coar • John Darrah • Samuel Der-Yeghiayan • John F. Grady • William Hart • William Hibbler • Harry Leinenweber • George Lindberg • Blanche Manning • James B. Moran • John Nordberg • Ann Williams (Federal judge) • Paul Plunkett • Joel Flaum • Brian Duff • Ilana Rovner • Mark Filip • Milton Shadur • Thomas Drummond • Henry Williams Blodgett • William Bauer • Philip Tone • Peter Stenger Grosscup • Christian Cecil Kohlsaat • Solomon Hicks Bethea • Kenesaw Mountain Landis • George Albert Carpenter • Adam Cliffe • James Herbert Wilkerson • John Peter Barnes • George Johnson (Illinois) • William Harrison Holly • Philip Leo Sullivan • Michael Igoe • William Lynch (Illinois) • James Alesia • Richard Austin • Nicholas Bua • William Campbell (Illinois) • John Crowley (Illinois) • Bernard Decker • Susan Getzendanner • Julius Hoffman • Alfred Kirkland • Winfred Knoch • Walter LaBuy • George Leighton • Abraham Marovitz • Prentice Marshall • Frank McGarr • Richard McLaren • Thomas McMillen • Julius Miner • Alexander Napoli • James B. Parsons • Joseph Perry (Illinois) • Edwin Robson • Stanley Roszkowski • Elwyn Shaw • Hubert Will • Charles Woodward • Gary Feinerman • John Z. Lee (Illinois) • Nancy Maldonado • | ||
| Former Chief judges |
Marvin Aspen • Ruben Castillo • John F. Grady • Charles Kocoras • James B. Moran • Rebecca Pallmeyer • John Peter Barnes • Philip Leo Sullivan • William Campbell (Illinois) • Frank McGarr • James B. Parsons • Edwin Robson • | ||
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 |
Bartlett • Beam • Becker • Bork • Cacheris • Cardamone • Chapman • Coughenour • Cox • Crow • Cyr • Doumar • Eschbach • Forrester • Garwood • Gibson • Glasser • Hall • Hamilton • Head • Jones • Kiser • Krenzler • Lee • Magnuson • McLaughlin • Miner • Moore • Nowlin • O'Connor • Pierce • Posner • Potter • Russell • Ryan • Shabaz • Sprizzo • Stevens • Waters • Wilhoit • Wilkins • Winter | ||
| 1982 |
Acker • Acosta • Altimari • Bell • Bissell • Black • Bullock • Caldwell • Coffey • Contie • Coyle • Dowd • Fagg • Fong • Fox • Gadbois • Gibson • Ginsburg • Hart • Higginbotham • Hogan • Irving • Jackson • Jolly • Kanne • Kovachevich • Krupansky • Lynch • Mansmann • McNamara • Mencer • Mentz • Mihm • Moody • Nordberg • Paul • Pieras • Plunkett • Porfilio • Potter • Pratt • Rafeedie • Restani • Roberts • Scalia • Selya • Telesca • Wellford | ||
| 1983 |
Baldock • Barbour • Barry • Bowman • Carman • Carter • Curran • Davis • Dorsey • Feldman • Fish • Flaum • Gibbons • Hallanan • Harris • Hinojosa • Hull • Hupp • Katz • Keenan • Kelly • Kram • Laffitte • Limbaugh, Sr. • Limbaugh, Sr. • Milburn • Nesbitt • Nevas • O'Neill • Rymer • Sharp • Starr • Vinson • Vukasin • Wexler • Woods | ||
| 1984 |
Barker • Beezer • Biggers • Billings • Bissell • Boyle • Brewster • Browning • DiCarlo • Duhe • Garcia • George • Hall • Hargrove • Higgins • Hill • Holland • Ideman • Jarvis • Keller • Leavy • Lee • Legge • Leisure • Little • Livaudais • Longobardi • McKibben • Milburn • Newman • Norgle • Prado • Rea • Rosenblatt • Rovner • Scirica • Smith, Jr. • Sneeden • Stotler • Suhrheinrich • Torruella • Wiggins • Wilkinson | ||
| 1985 |
Alley • Altimari • Anderson • Aquilino • Archer • Arnold • Baldock • Batchelder • Battey • Broomfield • Brown • Brown • Brunetti • Buckley • Cobb • Conmy • Cowen • Davidson • Dimmick • Duff • Easterbrook • Edgar • Farnan • Fernandez • Fitzpatrick • Fuste • Greene • Gunn • Guy • Hall • Hilton • Holderman • Hughes • Johnson • Jones • Korman • Kozinski • La Plata • Leinenweber • Letts • Lovell • Ludwig • Maloney • Mansmann • Marcus • McDonald • Meredith • Miller • Mills • Miner • Motz • Nelson • Noonan • Porfilio • Revercomb • Rhoades • Ripple • Rodriguez • Rosenbaum • Roth • Ryan • Sam • Scott • Sentelle • Silberman • Sporkin • Stanton • Stapleton • Strand • Strom • Tacha • Tevrizian • Thompson • Todd • Tsoucalas • Walker • Walter • Weber • Williams • Wilson • Wingate • Wolf • Wollman • Young • Zloch | ||
| 1986 |
Anderson • Boggs • Bryan • Cedarbaum • Cholakis • Conway • Davies • Dearie • Dubina • Duggan • Edmondson • Fawsett • Fitzwater • Gex • Graham • Hackett • Hansen • Henderson • Hittner • Howard • Jensen • Kay • Kleinfeld • Kosik • Lagueux • Lechner • Magill • Mahoney • Manion • McAvoy • McQuade • Norris • O'Scannlain • Rehnquist • Ryskamp • Scalia • Selya • Simpson • Smalkin • Spencer • Stiehl • Wilkins • Williams • Woodlock • Zatkoff | ||
| 1987 |
Alesia • Beam • Bell • Conboy • Cowen • Cummings • Daronco • Doty • Dwyer • Ebel • Ellis • Gadola • Gawthrop • Greenberg • Harrington • Howard • Hoyt • Hutchinson • Kanne • Kelly • Larimer • Leavy • Lew • Marsh • Mayer • McKinney • Michel • Mukasey • Musgrave • Niemeyer • Parker • Phillips • Politan • Pro • Raggi • Reasoner • Reed • Scirica • Sentelle • Smith • Smith • Stadtmueller • Standish • Tinder • Torres • Trott • Turner • Van Antwerpen • Voorhees • Webb • Whipple • Wolin • Wolle • Wood • Zagel | ||
| 1988 |
Arcara • Babcock • Brorby • Butler • Cambridge • Camp • Conlon • Cox • Dubois • Duhe • Ezra • Forester • Friedman • Garza • Hutton • Jordan • Kennedy • Lake • Lamberth • Lifland • Lozano • Marovich • Nygaard • Patterson • Schell • Smith • Smith • Tilley • Waldman • Zilly | ||
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 |
Adams • Ambrose • Barnes • Brinkema • Bucklew • Chasanow • Coffman • Daughtrey • Ferguson • Ginsburg • Hagen • Jackson • Lancaster • Leval • Lindsay • Messitte • Michael • Piersol • Saris • Schwartz • Seybert • Shanahan • Shaw • Stearns • Trager • Vazquez • Wilken • Wilson | ||
| 1994 |
Baer • Barkett • Batts • Beaty • Benavides • Bennett • Berrigan • Biery • Block • Borman • Breyer • Briones • Bryson • Bucklo • Burgess • Burrage • Cabranes • Calabresi • Carr • Casellas • Castillo • Chatigny • Chin • Cindrich • Coar • Collins • Cooper • Cote • Currie • Davis • Dominguez • Downes • Duval • Friedman • Furgeson • Garcia • Gertner • Gettleman • Gillmor • Gilmore • Gleeson • Haggerty • Hamilton • Hannah • Hawkins • Henry • Holmes • Hood • Hull • Hurley • Jack • Jones • Jones • Kaplan • Katz • Kern • Kessler • Koeltl • Lisi • Manning • McKee • McLaughlin • Melancon • Miles-LaGrange • Moore • Motz • Murphy • O'Malley • O'Meara • Oliver • Paez • B. Parker • F. Parker • R. Parker • Perry • Ponsor • Pooler • Porteous • Rendell • Riley • Robertson • Rogers • Ross • Russell • Sands • Sarokin • Scheindlin • Silver • Squatrito • Stewart • Sullivan • Tatel • Thompson • Timlin • Urbina • Vanaskie • Vance • Walls • Wells • Williams | ||
| 1995 |
Arterton • Atlas • Black • Blake • Briscoe • Tena Campbell • Todd Campbell • Chesney • Cole • Collier • Daniel • Davis • Dennis • Dlott • Donald • Duffy • Economus • Evans • Fallon • Folsom • Gaughan • Goodwin • Heartfield • Hunt • Illston • Jones • King • Kornmann • Lawson • Lenard • Lucero • Lynch • McKinley • Moody • Moore • Moskowitz • Murphy • Murtha • Nugent • O'Toole • Orlofsky • Pogue • Sessions • C. Smith • O. Smith • Stein • Thornburg • Tunheim • Wallach • Wardlaw • Webber • Whaley • Winmill • Wood | ||
| 1996 |
Broadwater • Clevert • Fenner • Gershon • Gottschall • Greenaway • Hinkle • Jones • Kahn • Laughrey • Lemmon • Marten • Miller • Molloy • Montgomery • Pregerson • Rakoff • Sargus • Tashima • Thomas • Zapata | ||
| 1997 |
Adelman • Bataillon • Breyer • Caputo • Casey • Chambers • Clay • Damrell • Droney • Friedman • Gajarsa • Garland • Gilman • Gold • Gwin • Hall • Hayden • Hull • Ishii • Jenkins • Kauffman • Kennedy • Kimball • Kollar-Kotelly • Lazzara • Marbley • Marcus • Middlebrooks • Miller • Moon • Pratt • Rendell • Sippel • Siragusa • Snyder • Thrash | ||
| 1998 |
Aiken • Barbier • Barzilay • Berman • Buttram • Carter • Collins • Dawson • Dimitrouleas • Fletcher • Fogel • Frank • Graber • Hellerstein • Herndon • James • Johnson • Kane • Kelly • G. King • R. King • Lasnik • Lee • Lemelle • Lindsay • Lipez • Manella • Matz • McCuskey • McKeown • McMahon • Mickle • Mollway • Mordue • Moreno • Morrow • Munley • Murphy • Pallmeyer • Pauley • Polster • Pooler • Rawlinson • Ridgway • R. Roberts • V. Roberts • Sack • Scott • Seitz • Seymour • Shea • Silverman • Sleet • Sotomayor • Steeh • Story • Straub • Tagle • Tarnow • Trauger • Traxler • Tyson • Wardlaw • Whelan • Young | ||
| 1999 |
Alsup • Barry • Brown • Buchwald • Cooper • Eaton • Ellison • Feess • Fisher • Gould • Guzman • Haynes • Hibbler • Hochberg • Hurd • Huvelle • Jordan • Katzmann • Kennelly • Linn • Lorenz • Lynn • Marrero • Murguia • Pannell • Pechman • Pepper • Phillips • Schreier • Stewart • Underhill • Ward • Williams • Wilson | ||
| 2000 |
Ambro • Antoon • Battani • Berzon • Bolton • Brady • Bye • Cavanaugh • Daniels • Darrah • Dawson • Dyk • Fuentes • Garaufis • Garcia-Gregory • Hamilton • Huck • Hunt • Lawson • Lefkow • Lynch • Martin • McLaughlin • Moody • Murguia • Paez • Pisano • Presnell • Rawlinson • Reagan • Schiller • Singal • Steele • Surrick • Swain • Tallman • Teilborg • Tucker • Whittemore | ||
