Damian Williams (lawyer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Damian Williams
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York
In office October 10, 2021 – December 13, 2024
Appointed by	Joe Biden
Preceded by	Audrey Strauss
Succeeded by	Edward Kim (acting)
Personal details
Born	Andre Damian Williams Jr. 1980 (age 44–45) New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	Harvard University (BA) Emmanuel College, Cambridge (MPhil) Yale University (JD)

Andre Damian Williams Jr. (born in 1980) is an American lawyer. He served as the top federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York from 2021 to 2024. In this important role, he oversaw many significant legal cases.

Early Life and Education

Williams was born in Brooklyn, New York City. He grew up in the Atlanta metropolitan area in Georgia. His parents came from Jamaica.

For high school, he attended Woodward Academy. He was the student body president in his final year. After high school, he went to Harvard University. He earned a degree in economics in 2002.

Then, he studied at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in England. He received another degree in international relations in 2003.

After college, Williams worked for John Kerry's presidential campaign in 2004. He also worked closely with Terry McAuliffe, who was the head of the Democratic Party.

Later, Williams went to Yale Law School. While there, he helped out at the office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. He earned his law degree from Yale in 2007. He was also an editor for the Yale Law Journal. He even published an essay there about improving voting rights.

A Career in Law

Williams started his legal career working for important judges. From 2007 to 2008, he was a law clerk for Judge Merrick Garland. A law clerk helps a judge with research and writing.

Then, from 2008 to 2009, he worked for Justice John Paul Stevens. Justice Stevens was a judge on the United States Supreme Court, the highest court in the country.

From 2009 to 2012, Williams worked as a lawyer at a law firm called Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.

From 2012 to 2021, he served as an Assistant United States Attorney. This means he was a federal prosecutor. He worked in the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. From 2018 to 2021, he led a special team that focused on cases involving financial wrongdoing.

In 2018, Williams helped with the case against Sheldon Silver. Silver was a powerful politician in New York.

Leading the Southern District of New York

In March 2021, Senator Chuck Schumer suggested Williams for a very important job. This job was the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

On August 10, 2021, President Joe Biden officially nominated Williams for the role. The Senate approved his nomination on October 5, 2021.

Williams made history when he took office on October 10, 2021. He became the first African-American U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. At that time, he was one of only a few African-American leaders in the district's office.

As the U.S. Attorney, Williams oversaw many significant cases. His office handled cases involving well-known people. For example, they worked on cases involving Sam Bankman-Fried, Do Kwon, and Jennifer Shah. They also announced legal actions involving Senator Bob Menendez, Sean Combs, and Eric Adams.

On November 25, 2024, Williams announced that he would be leaving his position. His term ended on December 13, 2024.

Personal Life

Williams' family comes from a region in Jamaica called Frome.

In 2012, Williams married Jennifer Wynn. She is also an academic and a graduate of Harvard. They met five years earlier on a bus trip.

See also

• List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 4)