Charles Williams

Election to office of State Superior Court Judge, Thurston County, Washington.

1981-present: Lawyer, Charles H. Williams, Attorney & Counselor at Law, P.S., Olympia, Wash.

• Currently (2005-08), serves as pro tem district court judge.
• From 1992 to present, engaged in trial and appellate practice limited to personal injury and criminal defense.
• From 1981 to 1992, engaged in general law practice in which roughly 35% of caseload was family-law related.
• From 1986 to 1992, served as pro tem superior court judge in juvenile court.

1977–81: Hearings Officer, Washington State Personnel Board, Olympia, Wash.

• Heard and decided contested state civil service cases for Washington State Personnel Board (inc. employee disciplinary actions, unfair labor practice complaints, and promotion and examination appeals).

May 1981: Admitted to Washington State Bar.

February 1982: Admitted to practice before United States District Court, Western District of Washington.

June 1986: Admitted to practice before United States Supreme Court.

J.D. 1980, University of Puget Sound School of Law, Tacoma, Wash., 1977-80.

• Attended law school on three-year full-tuition scholarship.

B.A. 1974, The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Wash., 1972-74.

• Baccalaureate included common core curriculum at University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill., 1970-72.

Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (WACDL):

• Co-Chair, Washington Criminal Defense (quarterly magazine published jointly with Washington Defender Association [WDA]), 1996-2004;
  
• President-Elect, President and Past President, 1999-2002;
  
• Vice-President/West, 1998-99;
  
• Board Member, 1992-96;
  
• Legislative Chair, 1987-89.

Washington State Bar Association:

• Time for Trial Task Force, 2002-03;
  
• Legislative Committee, 1992-94.
  

Thurston County Bar Association:

• Law Day High School Speech Competition, Chair, 1982-present;
  
• Daniel Bigelow Award recipient, “Lawyer of the Year,” 2007.
• Criminal Law Committee, Chair, 1988-90.

National Institute for Trial Advocacy: Pacific Northwest Regional Instructor, 2001-03.

YMCA Washington High School Mock Trial Program:

• Franklin High School, Seattle, Wash., Lawyer-Coach, 1996-2008 (Washington State Champion 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002; National Champion 2000).
• National High School Mock Trial Championship, Scoring Judge, 2002-08.

Trowbridge Foundation, Olympia, Wash.: Board Member, 1999-present (organization promoting application of forensic psychology to resolution of legal disputes).

South Sound Advocates for Disabled Citizens, Olympia, Wash.:

• President, 1982-91 (supervised growth, from one-person to 18-person staff, of non-profit agency housing and supporting soup kitchen for homeless persons and linking disabled and chemically dependent persons to services);
  
• Board member, 1981-82.

Advocate and Witness: Mock Trial Principles, Preparation and Performance — Forthcoming: textbook for students of high-school and college mock-trial debate (to be published 2008).

“Litigating the Eye ID Case: New Strategies and Resources,” 2008 Annual Meeting CLE, WACDL, June 2008, Chelan.

“The New Time for Trial Rules,” 2003 Year in Review CLE, WACDL, December 2003, Seattle.

“Cross Examination for Dummies” Zen and the Art of Trial Practice CLE, WACDL, October 2003, Tri-Cities and Seattle.

“Cross Examination for Dummies: Presenting Your Case in Cross without Destroying Your Credibility,” Washington Criminal Defense (WACDL/WDA May 2002).

“Working with Forensic Psychologists: Some Basic Points of Criminal Defense Practice,” Psychological Defense: Using Psychological Expertise in Defense of the Accused, WACDL, April 2001, Tri-Cities and Seattle (CLE Chair).

“Evidence for ‘Dummies’: An Admissibility Primer for Criminal Defense Practice,” Washington Criminal Defense (WACDL/WDA February 2001).

“Arguing Future Dangerousness: New Techniques for Assessing the Risk of Violence,” Washington Criminal Defense (WACDL/WDA February 2000), co-authored with Brett C. Trowbridge.

“Inspiring Jurors with Speech: Lessons in Delivery from the Laboratory of Mock Trial,” Washington Criminal Defense (WACDL/WDA May 1999).

“Cross-Examination Notes: Mock Trials, Trial Masters, and the Socratic Method,” Washington Criminal Defense (WACDL/WDA November 1997).

“Current Issues in DUI Cases,” General Practitioner CLE, WSTLA, October 1997, Olympia.

“Self-Defense as an Excuse: Using Mental Experts to Establish Reasonableness,” Washington Criminal Defense (WACDL/WDA May 1997), co-authored with Brett C. Trowbridge.

“Moving Jurors: Using Emotional Appeals at Trial,” Washington Criminal Defense (WACDL/WDA February 1997).

“Real Life Practice Tips: Becoming a Supremely Persuasive Trial Lawyer, Pt. 2,” Washington Criminal Defense (WACDL/WDA August 1996).

“Real Life Practice Tips: Becoming a Supremely Persuasive Trial Lawyer, Pt. 1,” Washington Criminal Defense (WACDL/WDA May 1996).

“Defending the Battered Child: Some Lessons from State v. Marquez,” Washington Criminal Defense (WACDL/WDA Feb. 1993).

“Expert Witnesses,” Thurston County Young Lawyers CLE, November 1992, Olympia.

“State Drug Legislation Update,” 1989 Annual CLE, WACDL, June 1989, Chelan.

“Bias in Fact Adjudication from the Perspective of the Advocate,” 30th Congress on Law and Mental Health, June 2007, Padua, Italy.

Married to Cappy Thompson, glass artist—see www.cappythompson.com