Patricia J. Williams

Columnist

@madlawprofessor

Patricia J. Williams is University Professor of Law and Philosophy, and director of Law, Technology and Ethics at Northeastern University.

A protest against the death of Antonio Zambrano-Montes

Was This Victim of a Police Shooting Dangerous, or Just Sick? Was This Victim of a Police Shooting Dangerous, or Just Sick?

What the cops saw made all the difference.

Jul 16, 2015 / Column / Patricia J. Williams

What No One Is Saying About the Cleveland Police Shooting Case: It’s Legal Nonsense

What No One Is Saying About the Cleveland Police Shooting Case: It’s Legal Nonsense What No One Is Saying About the Cleveland Police Shooting Case: It’s Legal Nonsense

This judge’s ruling could make it a lot harder to prosecute manslaughter.

May 27, 2015 / Column / Patricia J. Williams

The American Ritual of Racial Killings

The American Ritual of Racial Killings The American Ritual of Racial Killings

We cannot turn away from police murders, but nor can we see them.

Apr 29, 2015 / Column / Patricia J. Williams

Who’s Getting Rich Off Your Genes?

Who’s Getting Rich Off Your Genes? Who’s Getting Rich Off Your Genes?

The scientific race toward “precision medicine” is shifting the ethical foundations of public health.

Apr 3, 2015 / Patricia J. Williams

Meet the Politicians Trying to Bury America’s Past

Meet the Politicians Trying to Bury America’s Past Meet the Politicians Trying to Bury America’s Past

Our short historical memory is no accident.

Mar 4, 2015 / Column / Patricia J. Williams

The Spectacular Incoherence of Race Goes Global

The Spectacular Incoherence of Race Goes Global The Spectacular Incoherence of Race Goes Global

From Ferguson to France, pliable racial categories are used to mark who counts as fully human—and who does not.

Jan 28, 2015 / Column / Patricia J. Williams

Social Movements Didn’t Kill the NYPD Officers. A Man With Untreated Mental Illness and a Gun Did.

Social Movements Didn’t Kill the NYPD Officers. A Man With Untreated Mental Illness and a Gun Did. Social Movements Didn’t Kill the NYPD Officers. A Man With Untreated Mental Illness and a Gun Did.

From Bill de Blasio to Eric Holder to Barack Obama to #BlackLivesMatter, right-wing pundits are blaming everyone and everything but the obvious.

Dec 23, 2014 / Column / Patricia J. Williams

The Value of Whiteness

The Value of Whiteness The Value of Whiteness

A lawsuit is being waged against the “wrongful birth” of a black child.

Nov 12, 2014 / Column / Patricia J. Williams

Juvenile Detention Facility

Will Your Child Grow Up to Be Victim or Torturer? Will Your Child Grow Up to Be Victim or Torturer?

While 90 percent of teens break the law, only some enter a violent system.

Oct 15, 2014 / Column / Patricia J. Williams

The Right to Be Forgotten

The Right to Be Forgotten The Right to Be Forgotten

Imagine a camera aimed at a human face forever.

Sep 17, 2014 / Column / Patricia J. Williams

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