On February 15, 2023, Williams & Connolly partner Ana Reyes was confirmed to serve as a federal district court judge on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Nominated by President Joe Biden, Ana will be the first Hispanic woman and first openly LGBTQ person to serve on the D.C. federal court.
Williams & Connolly Executive Committee Chairman Joe Petrosinelli commented, “Ana is – and always has been – one of our stars, and a mentor to many lawyers at our firm. She has handled a wide range of legal matters involving challenging issues, which will serve her well as a federal judge. Ana is intelligent, dedicated, fair, and compassionate – everything one would want in a partner and a friend. Although we will miss her at the firm, we are so proud and grateful that she will serve our country as a distinguished member of the federal bench. She will be a fantastic judge.”
Ana served as co-chair of the firm’s International Disputes practice group and served on the firm’s Executive Committee from 2018-2021. For more than a decade, she has devoted significant time to her pro bono representation of asylum seekers and refugee organizations, including numerous appellate matters for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and impact litigation for Human Rights First. In 2016, Ana received the Legacy Award from Unlikely Heroes for her successful representation of young women escaping persecution by a regional terrorist organization. After appointing her, the Honorary Board for the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies described Ana as representing “the very best of the legal profession: an accomplished and skilled litigator who provides the same high-quality zealous advocacy whether she is representing an international corporation, a foreign government, or a refugee child.”
Ana has served as Clinical Visiting Lecturer at Yale Law School teaching Advocacy in International Arbitration, and prior to that was an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown Law School teaching a course in the use of experts in federal courts.
Ana is a recognized leader in this generation of rising legal talent, and her Williams & Connolly family wishes her well on her journey as D.C.’s newest District Judge.