Federal Law in Oregon: A Conversation with U.S. Attorney Billy Williams

The U.S. Attorney for Oregon is in an interesting position right now. Marijuana is still illegal at the federal level and the Trump administration is not happy with Oregon's assertion that it is a "sanctuary state" for immigrants. How is Billy Williams navigating these political and legal thickets and how does he view his role as a federal law enforcement officer in a state that's often at odds with the White House? 

Join us as we welcome Billy Williams to the Friday Forum stage. He'll talk about his priorities in Oregon and will have a conversation with Nkenge Harmon Johnson about the federal government's approach to law enforcement and the criminal justice system.

U.S. Attorney Billy Williams

Billy J. Williams has been the U.S. Attorney and the chief federal law enforcement official in Oregon since May 2015. He is an 18-year veteran of the Department of Justice and has held multiple leadership positions including First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Chief of the Criminal Division, Chief of the Violent Crimes Unit, and as the district’s Indian Country Assistant U.S. Attorney and Tribal Liaison.

Williams has served on a number of Attorney General Advisory Subcommittees. He is currently appointed to serve on the following subcommittees and working groups: Native American Issues Subcommittee, Civil Rights Subcommittee, Border & Immigration Subcommittee, Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee, and the Marijuana Issues Working Group. Williams is a member of the Ninth Circuit Fairness Committee and the District of Oregon Implicit Bias Steering Committee.
 

Nkenge Harmon Johnson

Nkenge Harmon Johnson is the president and CEO of the Urban League of Portland. An attorney by training, Ms. Johnson has served as a strategic staff member in communications, campaigns, constituency outreach and legislative matters for U. S. Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee (D-Texas); U.S. Senator Harry Reid (D-Nevada); U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan); and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. From 2010 to 2013, she took on an important responsibility for President Barak Obama’s administration as a deputy assistant United States Trade Representative with national and international public affairs responsibilities focused on the Americas and China. Here in Oregon, Harmon Johnson served as communications director under Governor Kitzhaber.

Raised in Northeast Portland and Salem, a product of the famed Catlin Gabel School and Harriett Tubman Middle School, Harmon Johnson received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Florida A & M University, and a Master of Business Administration from Trinity University in Washington, DC. She earned her Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law. Harmon Johnson is a member of the Oregon State Bar and the District of Columbia Bar.