--- title: "Ann Claire Williams | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ann-claire-williams-3481" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # Ann Claire Williams U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit · U.S. Circuit Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit - State: National federal courts - Role: U.S. Circuit Judge - Service status: former - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 1999-present - Adjunct professor and lecturer, Northwestern University Law School, 1979-present - Adjunct professor and lecturer, John Marshall Law School, 1979-present - U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit (1999–2018): Nominated by President Bill Clinton, she became the first judge of color on that court and the third Black woman to serve on any federal circuit court - Judge, District Court, N.D. Illinois, 1985-1999 - U.S. District Judge, Northern District of Illinois (1985–1999): Nominated by President Ronald Reagan, she was the first African American woman on a federal district court in the Seventh Circuit - Assistant U.S. attorney, Northern District of Illinois, 1976-1985 - Law clerk, Hon. Robert A. Sprecher, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 1975-1976 - Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit - She then held the role of Assistant U.S. Attorney in Chicago for nine years, trying major felony cases and becoming the first woman of color to supervise in that office - Retired American federal judge and a trailblazer in the judiciary, recognized for breaking barriers as the first woman of color to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the first judge of color on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ### Education - She taught third grade in Detroit Public Schools before attending Notre Dame Law School, where she received her — J.D. (1975) - B.S. in elementary education from Wayne State University (1970) and an M.A. in guidance and counseling from the University of Michigan (1972). - University of Notre Dame ### Additional information - She assumed senior status in 2017 and retired January 16, 2018. - chief, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, Northern Central Region, 1983-1985 - She led the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (1983–1985) and taught trial advocacy at multiple law schools. - deputy chief, Criminal Receiving and Appellate Division, 1980-1983 - Born August 16, 1949, Detroit, Michigan. - Date of birth: 1949-01-01 - After law school, Williams clerked for Judge Robert A. Sprecher on the Seventh Circuit — one of the first two female African-American clerks there. - Since retirement, Williams is Of Counsel at Jones Day - focusing on advancing the rule of law in Africa through judicial training, partnerships, and advocacy. - First woman of color on the Northern District of Illinois federal bench - Appointed by presidents of both major parties (Reagan and Clinton) - She also serves on multiple boards, including the Andrew Carnegie Foundation and National Institute for Trial Advocacy. - Williams grew up the oldest of three daughters to Dorothy and Joshua Williams, both public school teachers. - Birth place: Detroit, MI ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3481/ann-claire-williams/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3481/ann-claire-williams/) - [Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3481/ann-claire-williams/) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3481/ann-claire-williams/) - [Williams, Ann Claire | Federal Judicial Center](https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/williams-ann-claire) - [Judge Ann Claire Williams: Trailblazer for Justice Across Continents | For Alumni | Notre Dame Lawyer Magazine | 2026 Notre Dame Lawyer Magazine | The Law School | University of Notre Dame](https://law.nd.edu/for-alumni/magazine/2026-notre-dame-lawyer-magazine/judge-ann-claire-williams-trailblazer-for-justice-across-continents) - [Wikidata: Ann Claire Williams](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4766324) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ann-claire-williams-3481", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ann-claire-williams-3481", "name": "Ann Claire Williams | KnowJudges", "description": "Ann Claire Williams, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-09", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ann-claire-williams-3481#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ann-claire-williams-3481#judge", "name": "Ann Claire Williams", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ann-claire-williams-3481", "jobTitle": "U.S. Circuit Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3481/ann-claire-williams/" ], "birthDate": "1949", "birthPlace": "Detroit, MI", "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Wayne State University" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Notre Dame Law School" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of Notre Dame" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of Michigan" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "National federal courts", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/national-federal-courts" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ann Claire Williams", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ann-claire-williams-3481" } ] } ] } ```