The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that the Hon. Joseph K. Williams III will receive the “Drum Major for Justice” award from the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Homer S. Brown Division. The ceremony will take place on Monday, Jan. 20, during the ACBA’s 26th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast and Program. The event begins at 7:30 a.m. at Mt. Ararat Baptist Church, 271 Paulson Ave.
The Drum Major for Justice” award is presented to an individual who advances Dr. King’s mission to “make justice, equality and opportunity a reality for all people,” a release from ACBA said.
The Hon. Joseph K. Williams III retired in 2024 as a judge from the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. He served on the Court’s Criminal Division for nine years where he worked to eradicate caseload backlogs resulting in the County being awarded as the most efficient court in the Commonwealth. He then brought the same efficiency as a judge in the Orphans’ Court Division.
Prior to his judgeship, Judge Williams practiced law for 24 years, focusing on real estate development, international transactions, estates and trusts as well as criminal law. He has received numerous professional awards; was listed as one of the region’s top criminal defense attorneys in Pittsburgh Magazine, and was honored with the Spirit Award by the HSBD.
Judge Williams served several years as Chair of the Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board responsible for reviewing policies of the $80-million annual budget. Judge Williams’ efforts lead the reform of healthcare within the jail and more efficient adjudication. His work has resulted in a 20 percent inmate population reduction, creating a $1.1 million monthly savings for the Allegheny County Jail budget during his term.
From 2001-04, he served as Secretary of the Allegheny County and City of Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority where he drafted the definitive report on minority and women-owned business enterprise participation during the development of Heinz Field, PNC Park and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
Williams’ work as a developer of historically significant properties ran parallel to his civic leadership and his law practice. In 1991, he received the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Preservation Award for his restoration of the 1884 Queen Anne which housed his law offices.
A native of Manchester, Judge Williams earned a scholarship to attend Yale University for his junior and senior years of high school, then returned to Pittsburgh to earn an undergraduate degree in psychology from Carnegie Mellon University, and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Pitt. In 1985, he graduated from the Duquesne Kline School of Law.
He is married to Darryl Ford Williams and had two sons, Eric and Joseph.
The Allegheny County Bar Association will also present a “Legacy Award” to the POISE Foundation, led by Mark Lewis. For more than 40 years, the POISE Foundation has been making hundreds of grants to worthy organizations, providing thousands of scholarships to deserving Black students and acting as a philanthropic leader and resource in the Pittsburgh community.