James R. Williams (1936 – 2020 in Columbus, Mississippi) was a U.S. lawyer, politician and jurist. Williams received his undergraduate and Juris Doctor degree from University of Akron. Williams supported gun control as an Akron, Ohio councilman. In 1974, he was the Democratic Party candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed him as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.