Joseph R. Williams is a partner at Pollock Begg, a family law firm in downtown Pittsburgh. His diverse, comprehensive family law practice includes divorce and equitable distribution cases, custody and visitation, protection from abuse and support. Additionally, Joe is also the current President of the Allegheny County Bar Association (“ACBA”).
Joe has proven himself a natural leader and an energetic force on the Pittsburgh legal scene. In 2013, Joe was named one of the Lawyers on the Fast Track by The Legal Intelligencer, an honor bestowed upon just 38 people statewide. Additionally, Joe has been named to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Stars list every year since 2012. In 2017, Joe received the “Outstanding Young Lawyer” Award honoring a member of the ACBA who has practiced law for less than 10 years.
Since 2018, Joe has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America for the fields of family law, family law mediation and family law mediation. In 2021, Joe was named the “Lawyer of the Year” for Pittsburgh in the area of family law arbitration.
After serving in several leadership roles within the Allegheny County Bar Association, Joe became its President on July 1, 2021. In this position, Joe serves the ACBA’s approximately 5,500 members to ensure that the organization is fostering a culture of ethics and professionalism and championing equality and diversity in the legal community. The ACBA supports equal access to legal services and enhances the success of members through education, networking, leadership and professional development opportunities.
Joe obtained a Bachelor’s degree from Bethany College in 2006 and a Juris Doctor from the Duquesne University School of Law in 2009. Post-graduation, Joe served on the Duquesne Law Alumni Association Board of Governors, including a tenure as President from 2018-2019.
After living in Downtown Pittsburgh for several years, Joe is now a resident of the Shadyside neighborhood.