Judge Cassandra Collier-Williams sits on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, General Division. She was first elected by the people of Cuyahoga County in November of 2012, and re-elected in 2018. She presides over criminal and civil matters. Judge Collier-Williams is the just the 4th African American woman to be elected to the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, General Division.
Judge Collier-Williams is a graduate of Miami University and Cleveland Marshall College of Law. After graduation from law school, Judge Collier-Williams worked as an Associate in a mid-size law firm. In 1999, she opened her own law firm where she practiced in a wide range of legal areas including criminal, personal injury, contract disputes, domestic and juvenile. She maintained her law firm, where she employed attorneys and support staff, until she was elected judge in 2012.
Since beginning on the Court of Common Pleas on January 12, 2013, Judge Collier-Williams has worked hard to dispense justice to all of Cuyahoga County in a fair and impartial manner. She is known for her calm demeanor and her ability to move her docket efficiently. Judge Collier-Williams works tireless on the bench on numerous court committees as well as having served as a judge on the Mental Health Developmental Disabilities Docket for several years. Now, in addition to her regular responsibilities as a judge, Judge Collier-Williams is one of four (4) judges that also maintains a Commercial Law Docket for business to business litigation.
Judge Collier-Williams is a Commissioner on the Ohio Supreme Court Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection. She is one of the founding members and co-chair of the newly established Ohio Black Judges Association, Inc., an affiliate of the National Bar Association. She is a member of the William K. Thomas American Inn of Court, as well as a member of several organizations and bar associations. In 2018, she was named one of Cleveland’s Business Notable Women in Law by Crain’s Cleveland Magazine. She is also working on a number of committees on the State and Local level seeking bail reform, grand jury reform, and general outreach to the community to assist in the public’s needs. Judge Collier-Williams is a member of the Executive Committee of the Judicial Council of the National Bar Association, and is an instructor for Continuing Legal Education classes for lawyers and judges.