For the past ten years, Jill Williams has defended numerous police departments, cities, counties, and community college districts throughout Southern California. Ms. Williams specializes in defending police departments and their officers in complex civil rights and wrongful death lawsuits and a variety of public agencies in employment discrimination and retaliation lawsuits.
Above all, Ms. Williams is a litigator, at ease in both federal and state court, who spends most of her time in the courtroom, in deposition, preparing and arguing dispositive motions, writs and appeals, and handling complex discovery issues. Ms. Williams has had the opportunity of arguing before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, California's Fourth District Court of Appeal, and California's Second District Court of Appeal. In addition, Ms. Williams had the distinct pleasure of drafting an amici curie brief on behalf of the League of California Cities for the United States Supreme Court in support of a petition for a writ of certiorari in City of Los Angeles v. Cedrick Cleveland (USSC No. 05-851), involving firefighters' entitlement to overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Ms. Williams' tenacity, knowledge of the law, and attention to detail has resulted in the dismissal of countless lawsuits brought against her clients. Several of her noteworthy results include:
* Estate of Hernandez v. City of Santa Ana (Orange County Superior Court, 07CC10602) - Defense verdict in wrongful death / excessive force case brought against police by family of unarmed man who was shot in the back
* Ponce v. City of Pomona (L.A. County Superior Court, BC431763) - Summary judgment granted in favor of city in highly publicized action brought by family of murder victim whose body was found in an abandoned van in police department parking lot.
* McSweeney v. City of Bell, Robert Rizzo (L.A. County Superior Court, BC406337) - Summary judgment granted in favor of City Manager Robert Rizzo in action brought by police officer, alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and employment discrimination.
* Dadah v. Mt. San Jacinto Community College District (Riverside County Superior Court, RIC542941) - Summary judgment granted, dismissing action alleging wrongful termination, disability discrimination and breach of contract brought by college dean.
* Hawley v. City of Culver City (L.A. County Superior Court, SC102279) - Summary judgment granted in favor of city in civil rights action brought by junior high school student mistakenly arrested.
* White Dove v. Lancaster School District (L.A. County Superior Court, BC367796) - Summary judgment granted in action brought against school district by special education teacher, alleging discrimination and retaliation in violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act.
* Bland v. City of Hawthorne (U.S. District Court, CV07-00387 GHK (PLAx)) - Summary judgment granted in favor of city and officers in action brought by man, alleging false arrest and excessive force.
* Han v. City of Arcadia (U.S. District Court, SACV 03-301 (SJO)) - Summary judgment granted in favor of city and police officers following arrest of itinerant man.
* Leamer v. City of Santa Ana (U.S. District Court, SACV06-764 CJC)) - Summary judgment granted in favor of city in civil rights action brought by police officer bitten by a police canine during search for suspect.
* Markes v. City of Covina (L.A. County Superior Court, KC041315) - Summary judgment granted in action brought by family of a driver killed in traffic accident on city roadway.
Ms. Williams is a frequent lecturer on all aspects of civil rights and employment law, where she shares her wealth of litigation experience, knowledge of the law, trials and errors with her clients to help them navigate the turbulent waters of risk management. In addition, Ms. Williams has taught Civil Procedure as a guest instructor at Southwestern University School of Law.
Ms. Williams received her juris doctorate from Southwestern University School of Law, where she completed Southwestern's SCALE program, the country's only accredited two-year juris doctor program. During those two years, Ms. Williams was selected to be a writer for the Moot Court Honors Program and was a staff member on the Southwestern Journal of Law and Trade.
Ms. Williams is currently licensed with the State Bar of California and the United States District Court, Central District of California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.
[Ms. Williams may be reached at jwilliams@crdlaw.com]
Above all, Ms. Williams is a litigator, at ease in both federal and state court, who spends most of her time in the courtroom, in deposition, preparing and arguing dispositive motions, writs and appeals, and handling complex discovery issues. Ms. Williams has had the opportunity of arguing before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, California's Fourth District Court of Appeal, and California's Second District Court of Appeal. In addition, Ms. Williams had the distinct pleasure of drafting an amici curie brief on behalf of the League of California Cities for the United States Supreme Court in support of a petition for a writ of certiorari in City of Los Angeles v. Cedrick Cleveland (USSC No. 05-851), involving firefighters' entitlement to overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Ms. Williams' tenacity, knowledge of the law, and attention to detail has resulted in the dismissal of countless lawsuits brought against her clients. Several of her noteworthy results include:
* Estate of Hernandez v. City of Santa Ana (Orange County Superior Court, 07CC10602) - Defense verdict in wrongful death / excessive force case brought against police by family of unarmed man who was shot in the back
* Ponce v. City of Pomona (L.A. County Superior Court, BC431763) - Summary judgment granted in favor of city in highly publicized action brought by family of murder victim whose body was found in an abandoned van in police department parking lot.
* McSweeney v. City of Bell, Robert Rizzo (L.A. County Superior Court, BC406337) - Summary judgment granted in favor of City Manager Robert Rizzo in action brought by police officer, alleging breach of contract, wrongful termination and employment discrimination.
* Dadah v. Mt. San Jacinto Community College District (Riverside County Superior Court, RIC542941) - Summary judgment granted, dismissing action alleging wrongful termination, disability discrimination and breach of contract brought by college dean.
* Hawley v. City of Culver City (L.A. County Superior Court, SC102279) - Summary judgment granted in favor of city in civil rights action brought by junior high school student mistakenly arrested.
* White Dove v. Lancaster School District (L.A. County Superior Court, BC367796) - Summary judgment granted in action brought against school district by special education teacher, alleging discrimination and retaliation in violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act.
* Bland v. City of Hawthorne (U.S. District Court, CV07-00387 GHK (PLAx)) - Summary judgment granted in favor of city and officers in action brought by man, alleging false arrest and excessive force.
* Han v. City of Arcadia (U.S. District Court, SACV 03-301 (SJO)) - Summary judgment granted in favor of city and police officers following arrest of itinerant man.
* Leamer v. City of Santa Ana (U.S. District Court, SACV06-764 CJC)) - Summary judgment granted in favor of city in civil rights action brought by police officer bitten by a police canine during search for suspect.
* Markes v. City of Covina (L.A. County Superior Court, KC041315) - Summary judgment granted in action brought by family of a driver killed in traffic accident on city roadway.
Ms. Williams is a frequent lecturer on all aspects of civil rights and employment law, where she shares her wealth of litigation experience, knowledge of the law, trials and errors with her clients to help them navigate the turbulent waters of risk management. In addition, Ms. Williams has taught Civil Procedure as a guest instructor at Southwestern University School of Law.
Ms. Williams received her juris doctorate from Southwestern University School of Law, where she completed Southwestern's SCALE program, the country's only accredited two-year juris doctor program. During those two years, Ms. Williams was selected to be a writer for the Moot Court Honors Program and was a staff member on the Southwestern Journal of Law and Trade.
Ms. Williams is currently licensed with the State Bar of California and the United States District Court, Central District of California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.
[Ms. Williams may be reached at jwilliams@crdlaw.com]
