District Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. was born in Washington, D. C. in 1948. He earned his undergraduate degree from Howard University in 1970, and then turned his attention to law school, achieving his J.D. cum laude in 1973, from the Howard University School of Law. Judge Williams returned to Howard University in 1988 to attend its School of Divinity, obtaining an M.A. degree in 1991. He also received an M.A. degree from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1995. Also in 1995, Judge Williams received an honorary doctorate from Southeastern University.

Immediately following law school, in 1973, Judge Williams served as law clerk to the Honorable James H. Taylor of the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Maryland. He engaged in private practice at various times from 1974 to 1986. Judge Williams performed in other capacities during this period, including municipal attorney for Fairmount Heights, 1975-87; part-time substitute juvenile master for Prince George’s County Circuit Court, 1976-77; assistant public defender for Prince George’s County Public Defender’s Office, 1977-78; part-time special counsel and hearing examiner for Prince George’s County Board of Education, 1978-87; and municipal attorney, Glenarden, 1980-87. Judge Williams was a Professor of Law at Howard University School of Law from 1978-89. From 1987 to 1994, Judge Williams served as the elected State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County, Maryland. On August 3, 1993, Judge Williams was nominated by President Clinton for a vacancy in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. His nomination was confirmed by the Senate on August 17, 1994, and Judge Williams received his commission on August 18, 1994. Judge Williams elected senior status on May 8, 2013 and retired from the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland on January 3, 2014.

Judge Williams was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1973, and to the District of Columbia Bar in 1974. In addition, he is the founder, member and first president of the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association, as well as a member of the National and Prince George’s County Bar Associations. Some of Judge Williams’ professional associations include a member of the Commission on Medical Discipline, 1980-85; member of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, 1983-87, and chair, 1986-87; member of the State’s Attorneys Coordination Council, 1987-89; member of the Court of Appeals Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure, 1984-86; and member of the Handgun Roster Board, 1992-94.