Advocate for Victims’ Rights

Renée Williams (COPA ’05) is the executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime in Washington, D.C. She took on the leadership role in spring 2020 after serving as the director of the National Crime Victim Bar Association, an affiliate program of the NCVC. Prior to that, Williams was the executive director of a legal services organization in Pittsburgh, which focused on the legal rights of victims of domestic violence and other indigent clients. A board member for Voices in Action and Athena International, she is a passionate community leader. Williams volunteers at Children’s National Hospital, mentors through Big Brothers Big Sisters, and serves children as a court-appointed special advocate. Her work has earned her a Jefferson Award for Community Service, recognition as an Athena Young Professional Finalist, and selection as one of Pittsburgh’s 40 under 40. She earned her B.A. in theatre arts at Point Park and her J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Williams chatted with The Point:

Q: Tell us about the National Center for Victims of Crime.

RW: The National Center is long standing and well respected. We are celebrating our 35th anniversary as one of the premier victims’ advocacy organizations in the United States. Back in the 1980s, we were the first organization to start fighting for victims’ rights. The result has been sweeping changes to the American criminal justice system from a victim’s perspective. 

Q: What are some areas in which NCVC is making an impact?

We are doing very interesting work right now in the area of criminal justice reform. When many people think of victims’ voices, in the criminal justice reform movement, they think victims are demanding longer or stricter sentences. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. We are aiming to make it known that true reform is a good thing, for victims. After all, what people want, after they’ve been victimized by a crime, is to feel safe. So, the best way to help [victims] feel safe is to rehabilitate their offender. Not so much to keep them in jail longer, or impose stricter sentences, but making sure people are rehabilitated and that they receive the treatment that they need. We have found that most of the people in prison have themselves been victims of crime, and they have a very high trauma rate in their past. We also work to ensure that victims have rights within the criminal justice system. Most people don’t realize that prosecutors don’t represent victims at all. So, if you’ve been victimized by a crime, you have very few choices as your case moves through the justice system. You don’t get to choose your own attorney, you don’t get to choose whether the case goes to trial, you don’t always get to choose the plea. NCVC started as a way to ensure that victims have rights. Today, each and every state has a crime victims’ bill of rights, and a lot of that is due to our work. NCVC is a trauma-informed organization, so to do this type of work it’s necessary to not only be passionate but also understanding. Passionate and compassionate.

Q: What led you to Point Park for your undergraduate studies?

I grew up in Youngstown, but my mom’s family is from Pittsburgh. In fact, her grandmother’s house was located on the North Shore where PNC Park is now! My dad’s family is from Cleveland. I grew up as a die-hard Steelers and Indians fan. We came to Pittsburgh a lot when I was little. When I was 14 months old, I had had a liver transplant at [UPMC] Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and we traveled to the city regularly for doctors’ visits. Pittsburgh has always been a second home to me. When it came time to apply to colleges to study theatre, I didn’t apply anywhere else but Point Park. After the very first audition round, I knew I wanted to be [there]. Everything just fit. 

Q: Any special memories of your time as a student?

I’ve stayed in touch with Richard Rauh over the years, and he has become a very good friend. I was also assistant director for a show, directed by John Shepherd, and that was a tremendous learning experience. I absolutely love John. He’s wonderful and I always appreciated his intensity.

Q: What were your plans after graduation? 

During the summer before my junior year, I went to Los Angeles for an internship with the daytime drama, The Young and the Restless. After that experience, I thought maybe this [field] isn’t for me. I still loved the craft of acting, but I’d also learned that every bad stereotype about Hollywood was true. So, after finishing my degree in three years, I decided I wanted to go to law school. I wanted to be a child abuse prosecutor. I chose Pitt Law in part because all of my friends were still at Point Park and I wanted to stay in Pittsburgh and be with them.

Q: How did you begin your legal career?

As a result of my transplant, I had a lot of experience in the health care system. I was drawn toward the health care field and accepted a position at Highmark as associate counsel. Later [after having taken and enjoyed courses in management at Carnegie Mellon] I decided to apply for a position as executive director at Laurel Legal Services. They took a chance on me, as I had no experience leading a company! I was there for three and a half years before moving on to become director of the NCVC Bar Association.

Q: You’ve described your career as ‘smartly spontaneous.’ What do you mean by that? 

When people see my resume, it leaves them scratching their heads! That’s where ‘smartly spontaneous’ comes in. When I was a Point Park student, if you had asked what I would be doing in 10 years, I would have said acting. That changed! When I went to law school, I originally planned to be a child abuse prosecutor. That changed. You have to be willing to let things change. It’s important to be able to pivot and not tie yourself to one track of what you think is best. Be spontaneous, just make sure you think before you leap...then still take the leap. Every experience I’ve had, and every job I’ve had, was valuable.

Q: What else are you passionate about?

When I was a freshman at Point Park, I started volunteering at Children’s Hospital and I continued to do that once a week until I left Pittsburgh. It’s one of the things I genuinely miss. I had just begun to volunteer at Children’s National here in D.C. when COVID hit. I also work as a court-appointed special advocate for children. I have tried to stay connected to volunteer work. And I also run every single day. I always make time for that.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
Interview by Cheryl Valyo
Photo courtesy of Renée Williams
The Point is the online magazine of Point Park University

More About: The Point