Deonte Williams is a 1L with an unconventional background.
As an Air Force veteran with a Ph.D. in psychology and a successful podcast on relationships, the 34-year-old had little reason to pursue an additional degree. However, after failing to address systemic mental health issues in the military as a doctor, Williams decided his best option would be to study law and bring his concerns to Congress.
Williams joined the Air Force in 2018 as a medical officer (2nd Lieutenant later promoted to Captain), fulfilling the duties of a clinical psychologist. He immediately recognized the opportunity to address a cycle common in the military in which recruits enlist shortly after getting married or having kids, resulting in what he called “relationships formed with duct tape.”
As a medical professional with training in trauma treatment, his goal in the Air Force was to build a pilot system to train first-term active-duty members on the elements of effective dating and marriage practices while serving as a consultant to commanders, being able to go on deployments and assist in trauma treatment around the world as said commanders led their troops. Unfortunately, his job was not to be the command consultant or the trauma-treating psychologist he hoped to be; “It was a litigation workforce for the protection of the military on the mental health front,” he recalled.
“I want to assist people who’ve been misdiagnosed and discarded in the same manner I saw of those Airmen. I want to bring these issues to Congress and enact meaningful change in the system.” – Deonte Williams, 1L
Although he was filling a necessary role, he felt the military was using the mental health system he was working for to diagnose some individuals, primarily Black and Hispanic males, more aggressively; especially if they were considered “behaviorally problematic” by their commanders. He said this “systemic weaponization of mental health” often resulted in discharges without benefits and frequent unjust lifelong personality disorder diagnoses.
As a psychologist, he brought these issues to relevant agencies, but to no avail.
Determined, he decided the best way to make lasting change in this area was as a lawyer. In 2024, he applied to University of Wisconsin Law School.
“I want to assist people who’ve been misdiagnosed and discarded in the same manner I saw of those Airmen,” he explained. “I want to bring these issues to Congress and enact meaningful change in the system.”
As a Black male psychologist and future lawyer with military experience in both the U.S. and overseas, Williams is uniquely equipped to address this issue.
“I want to give an informed perspective on these things so that when decisions are made, they’re not coming out of the place of opinion,” he said. “They will be legally informed, clinically informed and bolstered by research. I’ve only started my path as a lawyer, but I know my experience at UW Law School will prepare me to do just this.”