James Williams(he/him)

James Williams is a litigation partner and former managing partner of Perkins Coie's Seattle office — one of the largest law firms in the Pacific Northwest. He grew up on a farm in rural South Carolina, the son of a schoolteacher and a farmer, with no lawyers in his family and no clear roadmap into the profession. Through a combination of self-driven academics, a military scholarship, and an ROTC commission, he worked his way to the University of Virginia Law School and eventually built a 30-year career handling high-stakes courtroom battles for major companies. James describes his job in two parts: as a litigator, he represents clients in lawsuits — gathering evidence, building strategy, and arguing cases before judges, juries, and arbitrators. As a former managing partner, he was also responsible for running the entire Seattle office, overseeing hundreds of lawyers and staff. He's clear that the business side of law — billing, revenue, rates — is the less exciting part. What fires him up is being in the courtroom, cross-examining witnesses, and making persuasive arguments that can actually change outcomes for people. One of the most powerful parts of his story is the moment that started it all: watching his mother get taken advantage of on an oral contract with a man who cut more timber from her land than he was supposed to — and feeling completely helpless. That moment of helplessness lit a fire in him. He decided the only way to protect people — and himself — was to learn the rules of the game. That's what law gave him: the knowledge and tools to vindicate people's rights. For students of color, James's story is especially relevant. He speaks directly about facing racial profiling in Seattle and encountering ignorance from opposing lawyers in courtrooms around the state. He also shares a clear-eyed theory: he chose Seattle deliberately because he believed a highly educated, well-read population would be more likely to judge him on his results than on his race — and his 27-year career has backed that up. He is proof that where you start does not define where you finish. His advice is blunt and encouraging: ignore your current circumstances and focus on the horizon. Do the academic work, even when it's lonely. Don't let anyone steal your dream. And if you're a young person of color in a city like Seattle, he believes you already have more advantages than he ever did starting out — so use them.