Sonni Choi Williams, J.D. '99, Makes History As Head of Illinois State Bar Association
By Tony Scott
Sonni Choi Williams, J.D. ’99, was installed this year as the 148th president of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), the first woman attorney of color to helm the organization.
“This historic advancement is not for me, but for so many others who have put their hopes and dreams in my rise to the highest position in the organization,” she said. "I hope that my presidency inspires others after me to take the leap of faith and follow me, thus making the ISBA more welcoming and inclusive of attorneys who have long been under-represented in the ISBA leadership.”
Williams, who also chairs the NIU College of Law’s Board of Visitors, has found tremendous success in the field of law, serving as the city attorney for the City of Lockport, Illinois for the past seven years. Prior to her time at Lockport, she represented the City of Peoria, Illinois, for 17 years.
“As Lockport city attorney, I represent the city, its elected and appointed officials, and employees as their in-house legal counsel,” she explained.
As city attorney, Williams said the most challenging part of her job is not having an administrative staff – no administrative assistant or paralegal. But she works with some incredible people and that makes her job worth it, she said.
“The most rewarding part of my job is that I have the fortune of having the most supportive and understanding co-workers and supervisors, they make the challenging parts of my job rewarding,” she said.
She noted that when she was sworn in for her ISBA presidency at the Illinois Supreme Court in May, the City of Lockport’s city administrator, finance director, director of community and economic development, and the police chief attended the ceremony in support.
Williams was born in Seoul, South Korea, and she immigrated with her family to the U.S. in 1977. She grew up in a small rural town in Iowa and her parents worked a variety of labor-intensive jobs to support the family, including welder, dishwasher, janitor, meat processor, and newspaper binder. She has an older brother, Quan Soo Choi, who lives in Lisle, Illinois, and a younger sister, Yu-Kyong Choi, who lives in New York City.
Williams earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Iowa in 1994, and decided to come to NIU for her juris doctor (J.D.) degree because it was affordable. She wanted to go back to school for her J.D. for a variety of reasons, she said.
“There were various factors that I considered, including what I could do with a history degree, experiencing the impact of not having attorneys who looked like me, and my desire to help others,” she said.
While at NIU, Williams was part of the inaugural student organization, Women Law Caucus, and an active member of the law school fraternity organization, Phi Alpha Delta, and participated in moot court competitions.
Williams named professors Leona Green, the longest-tenured African American professor at the College of Law, and Lorraine Schmall, who taught at the College of Law for nearly 25 years before she retired in 2013, as having an impact on her during law school.
“I recall being inspired by professor Schmall and professor Green by them being among the small group of female law school professors at the time,” she said.
Williams said being a Huskie means to not only lead in your community, but to give back to your alma mater and support current students.
“I think that being an NIU Huskie is the pride of being a strong and supportive leader, but also giving back by being the emissary for NIU and spreading the great advantages of being an NIU Huskie,” she said.
The NIU College of Law is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Alumni and friends of the College of Law are invited to attend a 50th Anniversary Celebration Nov. 1-3, 2024. Those interested can also donate to the 50th Anniversary Fund that supports scholarships and other College of Law needs.