Communities Scott Williams '93
Representing murderers and drug dealers in courts of law
"You don't go to Marlboro just to learn a subject," says Scott Williams. "You go to Marlboro and you come out with the ability to perceive the world in a pretty complex way and to interact with anything with a critical mindset." Scott studied education at Marlboro and intended to apply his law training in that arena, but while working in Philadelphia he developed a passion for trial advocacy. The Philadelphia public defender's office was considered the country's premier proving ground for developing those skills, so Scott went to work there.
There he represented murderers, drug dealers, "what to the typical American would be your worst segment of society." But many of his cases offered complexities. "My career, though varied, has been dedicated to public service," said Scott. Prior to law school, he said, "I worked with emotionally disturbed kids, the physically disabled." Like any other marginalized population he has worked for, "criminals are people," Scott said. "It's easy to say 'put them away' when you're not dealing with them as human beings."
As a lawyer in general practice in Montpelier, Vermont, Scott now makes a living obtaining the best possible outcomes for his clients in multifarious situations. Recently Scott's firm obtained Vermont's largest-ever product-liability settlement for a client. "I developed a problem-solving perspective at Marlboro," Scott said. "More of a global perspective that I don't think you learn at a big university."