University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School hosted a former Biden administration official for a fireside chat about careers in government service on Wednesday.
The April 8 discussion featured 2019 Penn Carey Law graduate Ashley Williams, who served as a senior advisor to former President and Benjamin Franklin Presidential Practice Professor Joe Biden. The event — part of Penn Government & Politics Association’s inaugural week of policy-related programming — was co-hosted by Penn Carey Law’s Office of Career Strategy and American Constitution Society chapter.
vIn an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian, Williams emphasized the importance of building relationships with the people she encountered throughout her ever-changing career.
Williams expressed that she has “experienced having to be resilient,” adding that the relationships she built “sustained” her.
“Really leaning in on relationships — understanding that, in life, things will come your way, things will happen — and recognizing what it takes for you to be resilient and overcome that is also very important,” Williams said.
During the event, she spoke about the need to prioritize official duties over personal life — especially when traveling with the President and staying informed about his briefing materials.
Williams also discussed a testimony before the House Oversight Committee in 2025, during which she responded to claims that she was involved in covering up President Biden’s cognitive deficits.
Emily Ndiokho, co-director of programming of the law school’s ACS chapter, told the DP that she hopes students “walk away with an understanding of the intersections of law and policy.” She emphasized that students can pursue many opportunities with a J.D. degree outside of “working at a big law firm.”
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“I think the transition into politics with a J.D. can be a little blurry, especially because I think Penn’s really excellent at having those experiential opportunities of using your degree for only law,” Ndiokho added.
Ndiokho explained that ACS wanted “someone like Ashley, with her position and background” to “share how she pivoted into politics, what she’s learned with her GED,” and what skills she has used to “get to where she is now.”
Tony Hernandez, a first-year student at Penn Carey Law and event attendee, told the DP that he appreciated Williams’ advice to “not let yourself be boxed in.”
Hernandez explained that Williams’ talk was “really encouraging” because her perspective on public service highlighted the “people who are committed to doing good for the public.”
“Pursue the interest that you want to do academically, and don’t do something just because someone else expects you to do it,” he added.
