Yvonne M. Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yvonne M. Williams
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| Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia | |
| Assumed office December 16, 2011 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Brook Hedge |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Yvonne Michelle Williams
June 13, 1972 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley (BA) Northeastern University (JD) |
Yvonne Michelle Williams (born on June 13, 1972) is an important judge. She works at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. This court handles many different types of legal cases in Washington, D.C.
Becoming a Judge: Yvonne Williams' Story
Yvonne Williams has had an interesting journey to become a judge. She studied hard and worked in different legal jobs before joining the court.
Her Education and Early Career
Yvonne Williams went to college at the University of California, Berkeley. She earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Arts, in 1994. After that, she continued her studies at Northeastern University School of Law. In 1997, she earned her law degree, which is called a Juris Doctor. This degree is needed to become a lawyer.
After finishing law school, Yvonne Williams started working as a staff attorney. She worked for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. This group helps people with legal issues, especially those facing unfair treatment.
In 1999, she joined the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. Here, she worked as a trial attorney. This means she represented people in court who could not afford a lawyer. In 2005, she started her own law practice.
Joining the D.C. Superior Court
On February 3, 2011, President Barack Obama chose Yvonne Williams to be a judge. He nominated her for a 15-year term at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. This was to fill a spot left by another judge, Brook Hedge.
For her to become a judge, the United States Senate had to approve her. A special committee in the Senate, called the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, held a meeting about her nomination. This happened on June 15, 2011.
The committee decided that she was a good choice. They sent her nomination to the full Senate for a vote. On August 2, 2011, the entire Senate approved her nomination. They used a "voice vote," which means they said "yes" or "no" out loud instead of a written ballot.
Yvonne Williams officially became a judge on December 16, 2011. She was sworn in, which means she took an oath to do her job fairly.
