Sarah J. Williams, professor of law at Pennsylvania State University, has been appointed interim dean of Penn State Dickinson Law. She began her new leadership role on August 11.
Professor Williams began her tenure at Penn State in 2019 as an assistant professor, ultimately rising through the faculty ranks to associate professor in 2024 and full professor in 2025. An expert in financial and securities regulation, she focuses her scholarship on the regulation of gatekeepers under federal securities law. Professor Williams previously served as deputy director and associate director for the division of registration and inspections at the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in Washington, D.C. She has also served as associate general counsel for the National Association of Securities Dealers and as counsel to one of five commissioners at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Additionally, Professor Williams currently serves on the board of directors of the Attorney/Client Arbitration Board of the D.C. Bar.
“I joined the law school after years of regulatory practice because of its dedication to pedagogical, experiential and practical legal education,” said Professor Williams. “As interim dean, I will lead in ongoing efforts to honor Penn State Dickinson Law’s commitment to preparing students to be highly qualified lawyers, while cultivating the attributes of the recently reunified law school that ensure its ability to do so.”
A graduate of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, Professor Williams earned her juris doctorate from the New York University School of Law.
