Today@Sam Article

SHSU Summer 2024 Commencement Speaker Announced

July 5, 2024
SHSU Media Contact: Mikah Boyd

Cheryl Williams will address graduates from Sam Houston State University during the Aug. 3 commencement ceremonies in Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, Texas.

Williams graduated from SHSU in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in political science before attending the University of Missouri School of Law. Upon receiving her doctorate in jurisprudence in 1989, she dove into her career by serving as an Enforcement Attorney for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission until she moved into private practice.

She now presides over the South Dallas Community Court and its internal/housed Drug Treatment Court. The South Dallas Community Court was chosen by the Bureau of Justice Administration and the Center of Court Innovation to serve as a mentor site, allowing other municipalities to learn how to operate a community court.

Outside of her courtroom, Williams leads classrooms as an adjunct professor at the University of North Texas College of Law and Paul Quinn College. During her time teaching at UNT, she also partnered with the university to serve as a certified mental health first aid instructor. 

Her community work has earned her awards and recognitions from the Women Called Moses Domestic Violence Coalition, the Boy Scouts of America and the J.L. Turner Legal Association. She holds life memberships with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Sam Houston State University Alumni Association. She currently holds leadership positions on the boards of the SHSU Alumni Association and Greater Works and has previously held leadership positions on the boards of Legal Aid of Northwest Texas and the Mustang District of Circle 10 Council of Boy Scouts of America. Williams is also a member of the Omicron Mu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and uses every opportunity to share her knowledge with those who wish to learn from her experiences.

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