Each spring UW Law students, faculty and alumni from across the country gather for the Legal Educational Opportunities (LEO) Banquet. An annual Law School favorite, the event celebrates and reaffirms our commitment to maintaining one of the most interesting and dynamic learning environments in the country. We will gather virtually for the 2021 LEO Banquet.
The LEO Program was established in 1967 to address issues of diversity within the student body. Its success is a collaborative effort among students, alumni, faculty and staff, who have worked to maintain an average of over 20% students of color in the student body year after year.
2022 LEO Program Celebration
This year's LEO event will be held on Thursday, March 3, 2022 at 4 p.m. central time. It will feature a keynote address by T.R. Williams '13, Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Additional remarks will be made by Dean Daniel Tokaji and Michael States, the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Register to join us!
Questions? Please contact Kimberly Raether at kimberly.raether@wisc.edu.
Speaker Information
T.R. Williams excels in bridging the gap between where people are and where they want to be by artfully blending backgrounds in legal advocacy, public policy, community engagement, and public affairs.Williams was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She attended Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, New York) where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and Africana studies, with a correlate sequence in Hispanic studies. After graduation, Williams participated in the Coro Public Affairs Fellowship Program, completing over 250 hours of training in public affairs, communication, and team building. This fellowship led to her employment at the educational non-profit organization, the Harlem Children’s Zone, in New York City. After living and working in New York City, Williams returned home to Wisconsin to attend law school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.Williams began her legal career practicing family law at Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee Inc. She she later joined the criminal defense practice as an assistant state public defender in the Milwaukee Trial Office. Williams went on to combine these experiences by serving as a Spanish bilingual family law and criminal defense attorney at Centro Legal.Williams has used her educational and professional experiences outside of the formal practice of law by holding positions with Milwaukee Public Schools, the Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association, and in the Office of the Governor for the State of Wisconsin. In June of 2021, Williams was appointed as the Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.Williams believes that effective and efficient communication is grounded in focusing on edifying the listener. Through this type of communication, individuals can be agents of change.
