Robert A. Williams, Jr.

Robert A. Williams, Jr. is Regents Professor and E. Thomas Sullivan Professor of Law at the University of Arizona, where he co-chairs the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program. A member of the Lumbee Tribe, Williams specializes in federal Indian law, indigenous rights, and human rights law.

His scholarship examines colonial legal discourses, treaty interpretations, and Supreme Court jurisprudence affecting Native nations. Williams has represented tribal groups before international human rights tribunals and served as appellate judge for Native nations. Award-winning publications analyze legal racism in Indian rights cases and indigenous visions of law.

Williams directs major grants from MacArthur Foundation and Ford Foundation supporting tribal justice initiatives. He received the Lawrence R. Baca Lifetime Achievement Award from the Federal Bar Association for advancing indigenous legal rights.