William Patrick York II

William Patrick York II
Attorney
William P. York focuses his practice on civil rights litigation to vindicate the constitutional rights of immigrants, immigration appeals, the protection and defense of immigrant workers’ rights, including victims of human trafficking, advocating for immigrant victims of crime in the workplace, and civil litigation in state and federal courts (representing plaintiffs and small businesses). Mr. York is a 2011 graduate of the Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor and a Certificate of Concentration in Litigation with Honors. Mr. York is a proud member of the National Lawyers Guild and is a founding member of the NLG’s Nashville chapter, which, to date, has focused its work primarily through public education and policy and legal reform on issues of homelessness, criminalization, and issues related to income disparities. Will is a member of the Guild’s Mass Defense Committee, Housing Committee, and Queer Caucus. He can frequently be found at various protests monitoring for First Amendment abuses on behalf of the National Lawyers Guild.
Prior to law school, Will was a prolific writer and the award-winning managing editor and senior reporter for his college’s student newspaper.
Will earned numerous journalism awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Southeast Journalism Conference, where he won the coveted “Best in the South” prize for best news reporting. Will brings his creative writing talents to work for his clients and drafts a wide array of pleadings and briefs in immigration court (including the Board of Immigration Appeals), state court, and federal court.
Areas of Practice
10% Immigration Law
40% Civil Rights
40% Litigation & Appeals
10% Employment Law — Employee
Bar Admissions
Tennessee, 2011
U.S. District Court Middle District of Tennessee, 2012
Education
Case Western Reserve University Law School, Cleveland, Ohio
- J.D. – 2011
- Honors: National Moot Court Team; Henry T. King War Crimes Research Lab
- Honors: Cert. of Concentration in Litigation with Honors
University of Tennessee at Martin, Martin, Tennessee
- B.S. summa cum laude – 2008
- Major: Communications
Published Works
Occupy Nashville Overview, 11 Nash. Bar J. 11, 14-15 (2011), Winter 2011
Honors and Awards
Young Leader Award, Tennessee Alliance for Progress
Young Leader Award, Tennessee Alliance for Progress
Professional Associations and Memberships
National Lawyers Guild, National Lawyers Guild, 2011 – Present
Past Employment Positions
Barrett Johnston Martin & Garrison, LLC , Contract Attorney and Class Action Clerk, 2012 – 2013
Private Practice, Principal, 2011 – 2014
Pro Bono Activities
Work on Fair Housing Act case w/ Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, 2013 – Present
Know-your-rights, legal advice clinics, legal observing, representing protesters – NLG, 2011 – Present
Languages
French
Spanish