Williams counts her law students among greatest accomplishments

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Phoebe Weaver Williams dreamed about law school for years before she applied, leaving behind a management position at the Social Security Administration in Milwaukee.

“I decided that I was 31 and it was either time to follow this dream or forget about it,” she said.

“So I decided to follow it.”

The switch paid off, as Williams went on to practice privately for about five years until a teaching opportunity arose at Marquette University. She has now been on the Marquette faculty for 26 years and was the law school’s first African-American tenured professor.

Among her achievements in that role: Williams’ scholarly research has been published in several law reviews; she is a former member of the City of Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission; and she served on numerous task forces assembled by Senator Herb Kohl to review nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court, including Justices David Souter, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer.

She also led the Marquette University Task Force on Gender Equity from 1999 to 2001, of which Williams said she is particularly proud.

“We were able to promote some initiatives that have led to greater representation of women in positions of leadership here at the university,” she said.

Some of her greatest accomplishments, however, are the students she’s helped shape over the years, Williams said.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said it best, she said, when dedicating Marquette University Law School’s new building last year. At that time, he characterized students as “living legacies” to effective teachers.

“It was a comment that really resonated with me,” Williams said. “Over the years, it really has been the students whose lives you’ve affected that really represent your greatest accomplishment.”

For several years now, Williams has advised students participating in the Robert F. Wagner National Labor and Employment Moot Court Competition.

This past year, Marquette’s team advanced to the top 16 out of 40 teams from across the country.

“The biggest ‘win’ is seeing the improvement in their skills,” she said of her student competitors, many of whom have gone on to focus on the area in their professional careers.

Allison Luczak, now practicing with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, participated in the competition two years ago and said Williams made the experience one to remember.

“What set Prof. Williams apart was she played a lot of different roles for us,” Luczak said. “Her title was ‘advisor,’ but really she was much more. She was a teacher, friend and mentor.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtc59OLj3Ik