Basil Williams

Basil is a Deputy Attorney General in the Appeals, Writs & Trials section of the California Department of Justice and has been a lecturer at UC Berkeley School of Law since 2019.  At California’s DOJ, Basil has argued complex felony cases in the California Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit, and dozens of times in the state Court of Appeal. He has also briefed hundreds of cases in those courts and litigated habeas petitions in federal district court. Basil recently played a key role in helping to establish California’s first statewide Post Conviction Justice Unit within the Office of the Attorney General. He also received the California Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in recognition of his criminal justice reform work and advocacy. In addition to his state DOJ and teaching responsibilities, Basil also serves as an Executive Committee member of the California Lawyers Association’s Criminal Law Section.

Basil recently completed a Master of Public Administration degree at Harvard University, where he was a Roy & Lila Ash Democracy Fellow. His studies focused on race, civil rights, and criminal justice reform. Basil’s professional goal is to help lead practical and commonsense efforts to reform California’s criminal justice system to make it work better for all stakeholders.

Education

MPA, Harvard University (2023)
LLM, University of California, College of the Law, SF (2015)
LLB, University of London (2010)

Basil Williams is teaching the following course in Fall 2024:

• 206.4A sec. 008 - Legal Research and Writing for LL.M. Students

Courses During Other Semesters