UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sarah J. Williams, professor of law at Penn State Dickinson Law, has been named interim dean of the law school, effective Aug. 11. Williams follows Laura H. Williams, senior associate dean for external affairs and chief of staff, who served as acting dean of the law school since former dean Danielle Conway, Distinguished Professor of Law, returned to the faculty.
“We are grateful for Laura Williams’ willingness to serve as acting dean over the last weeks — her steady leadership allowed us time to identify an interim dean to lead the college until a permanent dean can be identified through a national search, which will begin this fall,” said Fotis Sotiropoulos, executive vice president and provost of Penn State. “Sarah Williams has been a faculty member at Penn State Dickinson Law since 2019. In that time, she has gained the support of other faculty, staff, and students. In the past year, she has received a number of student organization recognitions, including the Faculty Member of the Year Award from the Student Bar Association. She is also set to launch a program on leadership for lawyers. This commitment to students and their success is at the center of all that we do at Penn State.”
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Sotiropoulos had asked the law school’s faculty and staff to submit nominations for interim dean and received more than 50 nominations. After speaking with several candidates, he selected Williams, noting her commitment to leading a process to update the law school’s strategic plan — a top priority over the coming months.
“I joined the law school after years of regulatory practice because of its dedication to pedagogical, experiential and practical legal education,” Williams said. “As interim dean, I will lead in ongoing efforts to honor Penn State Dickinson Law’s commitment to preparing students to be highly qualified lawyers, while cultivating the attributes of the recently reunified law school that ensure its ability to do so.”
Williams teaches and writes in areas of financial regulation. Her scholarship focuses on the regulation of gatekeepers under federal securities laws. An expert in securities regulation, Williams has served on the board of a national securities exchange and provided testimony in securities fraud litigation.
She previously served as deputy director and associate director for the Division of Registration and Inspections, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), Washington, D.C. In these roles, she drafted rules, designed electronic systems and established compliance frameworks for public accounting firms subject to PCAOB oversight, and supervised teams responsible for providing guidance on PCAOB requirements. She recommended regulatory actions to governing board members, and participated in budgetary oversight for the agency’s largest operating division. She received the agency’s Superior Achievement Award and was selected to its inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Council, based on her demonstrated leadership, innovation and teamwork.
Williams also worked as assistant and associate general counsel for the National Association of Securities Dealers (now FINRA), where she received its Presidential Award. She served as staff attorney, branch chief and commissioner’s counsel at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C., where she provided legal and policy advice, conducted investigations of potential violations of the federal securities laws, and led investigative teams. Williams started her career as an associate attorney at Arnold & Porter LLP in Washington, D.C., working on securities, corporate, real estate and pro bono matters.
Williams currently serves as vice chair of the Attorney/Client Arbitration Board of the D.C. Bar and vice chair of the board of directors of the Cumberland County Redevelopment Authority. She also volunteers as an arbitrator for the D.C. Bar.
