When Dick L. Willliams set up his law office at 139 E. Washington St. in East Peoria, there were no redevelopment plans for the busy intersection of Main and Washington Streets and no Levee District. But Caterpillar was booming in the 1960s and he liked what he saw in the people and potential of this hardworking city. While the official name has evolved over the years, the Williams Law practice has survived and thrived at the same location since the 1970s.

At 85 years old, Williams has witnessed a great deal of change as downtown East Peoria was reshaped in the 1970s, Caterpillar closed a major part of its East Peoria operations, and the former industrial site was transformed into a thriving retail and residential center. Through it all, he has remained committed to helping area residents with their legal needs.

He quotes renowned minister Robert Schuller to explain what has kept him in central Illinois for so long. “He (Schuller) always said you should ‘bloom where you are planted.’” Williams has taken that advice to heart, putting down roots that continue to grow after decades of care and attention.

Williams came to the area from a multi-generational family of jewelers from Metropolis and Albion in southern Illinois. He said his father encouraged him to pursue a law degree, believing that it promised a more secure future than the family business.

n the early 60s he set off for the University of Illinois, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1963 and a law degree in 1965. Upon graduation, he went to work for the Illinois Department of Insurance as a counseling deputy specializing in drafting legislation. In 1968, he made an unsuccessful run for state’s attorney in Edwards County. Williams worked as an assistant state’s attorney for Peoria County from 1968 to 1972, before setting up a general legal practice in East Peoria.

Three of Williams’ five children have joined him in the law practice. Dick B. and Andy are lawyers, and son Ben manages the firm’s billing and bookkeeping. His daughter, Jane, is a lawyer in California. Son Marc is not involved in the firm. His wife of 60 years, Jane, is retired from teaching mathematics at Bradley University. She handles the firm’s accounting.

Williams Law services include personal injury, bankruptcy, criminal law, divorce, estate planning, and probate.

It doesn’t take much prompting for Williams to start listing the many accolades he and the firm have received over the years. The practice won the Journal Star’s Reader’s Choice Award five times and was the Times News Group’s choice for Best Law Firm in 2020. In 2016 the East Peoria Chamber of Commerce named the firm Small Business of the Year, and in 2018, the chamber presented Williams with a special Friend of the Community recognition.

The firm recently received a Bright Spot Award from the East Peoria Beautification Commission for upgrades to the landscaping and surroundings of the building that once served as the office of Tommy Thompson of the Manhattan Coal Company. 

Williams said he is proud of his reputation for being “friendly toward the working man.”

“When a person has a legal problem, his lawyer can be his best friend,” he said. In his office is a framed poster of The Golden Rule: “Do unto others what you would have them to do to you.”

Over the years, Williams has given back to the community through his involvement with the local Optimist Club, Rotary Club, and the East Peoria Chamber of Commerce. He is active in First Federated Church in Peoria and has served as attorney for the East Peoria Police Pension Fund and the East Peoria Sanitary District for 30 years. Williams was also a lobbyist for the Golden Rule Insurance Company for 40 years and executive director of the Illinois Association of Life Companies for more than 30 years. 

In grateful appreciation to the community for its long support, Williams commissioned Delevan sculptor Morgan Esler to create a bust of Abraham Lincoln. Last summer, he donated it to the City of East Peoria. It can be seen in the East Peoria City Hall and the Fondulac Library in the center of the Levee District.

Williams said his workload has slowed in recent years, but he has no plans to retire. He keeps daily hours, and most days can be found consulting with clients and friends and “defending the little guy.” Williams Law is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be reached by phone at (309) 694-3196 or online at williamslaweastpeoria.com.