Prior to his 2026 appointment to the position of Federal Defender, Charles "Chuck" Willson had served as an Assistant Federal Defender since 2015. A member of the bar since 1997, Chuck has represented indigent clients for more than two decades. Prior to joining the Federal Defender’s Office, Chuck served as a member of the CJA Panels for both the District of Connecticut and the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit for more than ten years. Chuck has counseled clients during all phases of their encounters with the criminal justice system, including responding to target letters, negotiating resolutions to avoid indictments, engaging in motion practice, representing clients at trials, appearing before the Court of Appeals, seeking relief from the U.S. Supreme Court, and pursuing habeas claims.

Chuck received his J.D. from Boston College Law School, where he was a Managing Editor of the Boston College Law Review. After graduation, he spent one year as a judicial clerk to the Honorable John T. Broderick, Jr., who was then an associate justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Chuck received his B.A. in Politics from Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia.