Williams worked as a consumer advocate in the office of the City Attorney in Los Angeles, was a fellow in the School of Criticism and Theory at
Dartmouth College and served as
associate professor at the
University of Wisconsin Law School and its department of women's studies. She was formerly the James L. Dohr Professor of Law at
Columbia University where she has taught since 1991. As of July 1, 2019, she is the incoming Director of Law, Technology, and Ethics at
Northeastern University. Williams has served on the advisory council for the
Medgar Evers College for Law and Social Justice of the
City University of New York, the board of trustees of Wellesley College, and on the board of governors for the Society of American Law Teachers, among others. Williams writes a column for
The Nation magazine titled "Diary of a Mad Law Professor." Her column for
The Nation has recently changed from bi-weekly to monthly. The Mad-Law-Professor (SM) is also the name of a super hero that she created. == Awards and honors==