Sharonda Williams

Prior to joining the administration of Loyola, Sharonda had an extensive career in law and public service. Sharonda began her legal career as an intellectual property and patent lawyer at an international law firm in Atlanta. Subsequently, Sharonda joined the general litigation section at Sher Garner, where she became the first African American partner at the firm and handled cases ranging from construction disputes, medical malpractice, insurance coverage disputes, entertainment law contract negotiations, intellectual property licensing issues, and bankruptcy adversary proceedings.

Just before joining Loyola, Sharonda was Special Counsel at Fishman Haygood, LLP in New Orleans. During that time, Sharonda served as Board Counsel for the Orleans Parish School Board. Sharonda also served as Sr. Chief Deputy City Attorney for the City of New Orleans from 2011-2013 under Mayor Mitchell J. Landrieu, and was promoted to City Attorney and served in that role from May 2013-November 2015. As City Attorney, Sharonda was the lead attorney handling the most comprehensive police consent decree in the history of the United States. At the same time, she represented the City in another consent decree aimed at reforming the Orleans Parish Jail, which was then-recognized as one of the worst prisons in America.

Sharonda also was the lead attorney representing the City in settling a more than 30-year dispute relating to back pay and pension issues for the New Orleans Firefighters. She was appointed by Gov. John Bel Edwards to serve as a Commissioner for the Board of the Port of New Orleans, and she has served as the Chair of the Board of Commissioners of the Regional Transit Authority, the Chair of the Louisiana Judiciary Commission (appointed by Gov. Kathleen Blanco), as well as being involved in numerous other professional and civic organizations. Sharonda was a member of the inaugural class of the Norman C. Francis Leadership Institute and is a proud graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana.