William G. Young


William Glover Young is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Education and career

Born in Huntington, New York, Young received an Artium Baccalaureus degree from Harvard University in 1962. He received a Bachelor of Laws from Harvard Law School in 1967. He was a Captain in the United States Army from 1962 to 1964. He was a law clerk for Chief Justice Raymond S. Wilkins of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1967 to 1968. He was in private practice of law in Boston, Massachusetts from 1968 to 1972. Young was a special assistant attorney general of Massachusetts from 1970 to 1972 and chief counsel to the Governor of Massachusetts, Republican Francis Sargent, from 1972 to 1974. He was in private practice of law in Boston from 1975 to 1978. He was an Associate Justice of the Superior Court of Massachusetts from 1978 to 1985. Young was a lecturer in law for Boston College Law School from 1968 to the present and at Boston University Law School from 1979 to the present. He was a lecturer in law at Harvard Law School from 1979 to 1990.

Federal judicial service

Young was first nominated by President Ronald Reagan on September 11, 1984 to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, to a new seat created by 98 Stat. 333 but the nomination lapsed without a Senate vote. Reagan renominated him on March 8, 1985. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 3, 1985, and received his commission on April 4, 1985. He served as Chief Judge from 1999 to 2005.

Notable cases

Patent cases

Young is a respected federal judge in patent cases relating to biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
Young has also heard important computer-related patent cases, including a patent infringement suit by a small company against RealNetworks. The jury found that the patents were invalid and the case was affirmed upon appeal.

Criminal cases

Young has heard many criminal cases both as a Massachusetts state judge and as a federal judge, including the "Big Dan" rape case, the shoe bomber case, and the Boston Strangler case.
Young was the trial judge in Massachusetts state court for the highly publicized 'Big Dan' rape case which was the inspiration for the movie The Accused starring Jodie Foster.
Young sentenced Richard Reid, better known as the shoe bomber, to 3 life terms plus 110 years in prison.

Constitutional law cases

Young heard Singer v. City of Newton, the first case in the United States on the constitutionality of state and local regulation of drones. Judge Young partially invalidated the city ordinance because it was preempted by Federal Aviation Administration regulations.