Home Control Panel Custom Pages2023 Black History Month

AWLA CELEBRATES

Arizona Women Lawyers Association promotes and encourages the success of women lawyers throughout Arizona by providing members with information and support, fostering connections among women lawyers, and monitoring and celebrating the successes of our members.

AWLA celebrates Black History Month by recognizing Arizona’s First Female African-American Judge, Hon. Jean Williams.

Hon. Jean Williams was Arizona’s first African-American woman appointed to municipal court judgeships in both Tucson (1974) and Phoenix (1977).

Judge Williams earned her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of law in 1951. She started her career as a civil-rights lawyer in Chicago where she represented welfare recipients and criminal defendants. She was also active in defending protestors for civil, housing and voting rights during the protest associated with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and worked with the Chicago Coordinated Committee/Southern Christian Leadership Conference. William was the first black woman to be an assistant attorney General in the United States, in Cook County, Illinois in the 1950’s.

Judge Williams came to Arizona in 1971, where she was admitted to the Arizona State Bar as only the second African-American woman. In Tucson she served as an attorney for the Southern Arizona Legal Aid Society, was a Pima County Public Defender from 1973 -197, and was the selected as a Judge of the Tucson Municipal Court in 1974. In 1977 she moved to Phoenix where she served as a Judge in the Phoenix Municipal Court until her retirement in 1996.

She received many honors in her lifetime, including induction into the Maricopa County Bar Hall of Fame in 2009 and the 2006 Spirit of King Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Pursuit of Justice from the National Action Network.

Throughout her legal career, Williams was devoted to helping improve the lives of others, helping with several causes to aid the homeless, children, the impoverished and minorities.

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From AWLA member Tamara Brooks-Primera and Judge Lynda Howell, retired.

We knew Judge Jean Williams personally, respected and adored her.

Tamara appeared weekly in front of Judge Jean, and maintained a friendship with her until her passing. Tamara became close friends with Judge Howell because they had adjoining judicial chambers.

Judge Howell was the second black female Judge in Phoenix Municipal Court. She also appeared in front of Judge Jean as a prosecutor before joining her on the bench. Judge Jean was instrumental in Judge Howell’s appointment to the bench. But for Judge Jean’s sage advice, Judge Howell might never have become a judge.

“Judge Jean” was a deeply religious person who never discriminated against anyone. She treated people of lower economic status the same as persons with money. The same was true of race and LGBTQ+ people.

She was very supportive of minorities and women. She was always looking to give that hand up to advance the careers of others.

Judge Jean treated lawyers from both the State and the defense equally. Lawyers might not be happy with the results, but they always knew that they got a fair shot in front of her. She had no hesitancy about calling out a lawyer for his or her argument but never took it out on the client or victim. Judge Jean also was annoyed when a lawyer failed to step up and tell her that she was wrong on the law. She wanted to get it right.

Back when judges’ chambers were accessible she made sure everyone felt welcome. White male prosecutors were just as present for her “brisket days” as were defense lawyers. The call would go out: Judge Jean cooked!

Judge Jean grew up in a family that was part of the establishment, so when she chose to support the efforts of Dr. King, they made her pay for it. When the marchers were protesting, a bunch of the lawyers, pre-signed notices of appearances to represent them when they were arrested. Both sides had the right to a jury trial back then. The State forced all of Judge Jean’s cases to jury trial. She couldn’t work as a lawyer doing anything else for two years. In fact, the church put her up in housing so she could survive.

Few people knew that Judge Jean appeared in front of the United States Supreme Court long before she came to Arizona. Also, when she was in law school, the FBI came on the campus to interview and they would not interview her because she was black - even though she met the qualifications in all other ways.

Judge Jean was tough on criminals but she also used her judicial discretion to help people who were heavily burdened by the law. For a long time in the municipal courts, the laws and system were set up to burden people with huge fines that would suspend their drivers’ licenses without any recourse. Judge Jean would set aside collections and place people on payment plans so they could get a license again. One defendant hadn’t had a license for 20 years and Judge Jean gave him the ability to work again.

When she put a guy on probation instead of jail, she told him that she was “giving him the key to the jailhouse door.” That chance made a difference in a life more than once.

Judge Jean’s motto was “do as much for others as long as you can!” Lynda Howell, Tamara Brooks-Primera, and countless others, benefited from this motto. They try their best to carry it into the future and encourage others to do the same.