Judge Helen E. Williams

Judge Helen E. Williams was appointed to the Santa Clara Superior Court by Governor Brown in 2012 after having been in private civil practice for many years. Before her appointment, Judge Williams was certified by the State Bar as an appellate specialist and served for eight years as an appellate research attorney at the Sixth District Court of Appeal. Judge Williams received her undergraduate degree from UCSC and her JD from Santa Clara Law School. Judge Williams has served as a judge for over 10 years in civil and criminal assignments, and has also served for many years as the Presiding Judge of the Santa Clara Superior Court’s appellate division. She has served on numerous state and local committees with appellate focus, including as Chair of the State Bar’s Committee on Appellate Courts and Chair of the Appellate Law Advisory Committee to the State Bar's Board of Legal Specialization, and currently serves as an appointed member of the Judicial Council’s Appellate Advisory Committee.