James W. Williams
1946-2025
We extend our condolences of the loss of Jim Williams, who passed away on December 10, 2025, at the age of 79 to his wife Sheryl, family, friends, and colleagues.
Jim Williams was a distinguished trial attorney whose career was marked by significant contributions to both his profession and his community, all while maintaining a robust trial practice at Roberts & Stevens. There, he represented hospitals, healthcare providers, businesses, and individuals with exemplary professionalism and an ability to effectively connect with juries and witnesses. His skills in the courtroom were so respected that fellow past presidents described watching him try a case as "attending a master class in trial advocacy," noting his prowess and integrity.
Jim's leadership was recognized when he was elected President of the NCADA from 1991 to 1992. In the late 1990s, he continued to actively contribute to programs, chair committees, and assist in strategic planning efforts. In 2013, he was awarded the J. Robert Elster Award for Professional Excellence, an accolade that acknowledges sustained excellence and professionalism in legal advocacy.
Nationally, Jim played a pivotal role in restructuring DRI in the early 1990s, transforming it from a research arm of the International Association of Defense Counsel into an independent membership organization. He served as the second chair of DRI’s Standing Committee of State and Local Defense Organizations and became North Carolina’s first State Representative.
Beyond the civil defense bar, Jim held leadership positions in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the North Carolina Bar Association, serving on each organization’s Board of Governors from 1993 to 1996. He was distinguished as both a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a Permanent Member of the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference. On a local level, he served as President of the 28th Judicial District Bar and was deeply involved in community service, taking on leadership roles at the United Way and Manna Food Bank, among others.
For more information about Jim's life, please visit his obituary here. A virtual celebration of life is scheduled for Sunday, February 15, 2026, at 3:00 pm. To participate, please contact Lynette Pitt for the event link.
