William Sharp's legal career as a litigator spans more than 25 years, having served as both trial and appellate counsel at every level of the state and federal court systems in Kentucky. He has primarily devoted his career to public interest litigation and the defense of others' rights, both as a Kentucky public defender representing indigent clients accused of serious criminal offenses and as a civil rights attorney on behalf of the ACLU of Kentucky from 2007 to 2017.
After a few years in private practice, William returned to his public interest roots in the Louisville Metro Public Defender's appellate division, where he also assumed lead counsel duties for several trial-level cases. And then, when the opportunity presented itself, he readily returned to the ACLU of Kentucky in 2024 as its senior staff attorney where he assists in its ongoing legal efforts to promote and defend the rights of all Kentuckians in state and federal courts.