Sarah J. Williams

Assistant Professor of Law

An expert in securities regulation, Sarah J. Williams previously served as deputy director and associate director for the Division of Registration and Inspections, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), Washington, D.C. In these roles, she drafted rules, designed electronic systems and established compliance frameworks for public accounting firms subject to PCAOB oversight, and provided both written and oral guidance on PCAOB regulatory requirements. She also recommended regulatory actions to governing Board members and participated in administrative hearings against public accounting firms. She was selected to the PCAOB inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Council based on her demonstrated leadership, innovation and teamwork.

Professor Williams also served as associate general counsel for the National Association of Securities Dealers (now FINRA) and as staff attorney, branch chief and counsel to one of five commissioners at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C. She provided legal and policy advice and investigated potential violations of the federal securities laws. She started her career as an Associate Attorney at Arnold & Porter LLP, Washington, D.C., where she focused on securities, corporate law and pro bono matters. 

Professor Williams serves on the Board of Directors of the Attorney/Client Arbitration Board of the D.C. Bar. She also volunteers as an arbitrator of fee disputes involving members of the D.C. Bar. Professor Williams’s scholarship focuses on the regulation of gatekeepers under federal securities laws.

Select Publication by Professor Williams

“The Alchemy of Effective Auditor Regulation,” 25 Lewis & Clark. L. Rev. 1089 (2022).