Marcus D. Williams

The Honorable Marcus D. Williams is a retired judge on the Fairfax County Circuit Court.

Williams graduated from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, and obtained his law degree from Catholic University of America in 1977. After graduating law school, Williams spent a year on a fellowship at the City of London Polytechnic School of Business Studies and the London School of Economics.

After being admitted to the bar, Williams worked first as an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney for two years, then for seven years as an Assistant County Attorney for Fairfax County.

In 1987, Williams was elected to the Fairfax County General District Court, becoming the first African-American to serve as a judge in Fairfax County.

Judge Williams sat on the bench of the General District Court until 1990, when he and Alexandria attorney Gerald Bruce Lee both sought appointment to the Circuit Court bench to fill the vacancy created by the impending retirement of Lewis H. Griffith. Although both men were considered well-qualified, Governor L. Douglas Wilder ultimately appointed Williams on September 18, 1990.

Judge Williams retired in 2012 after 22 years on the Circuit Court bench.