William J. Higgins Jr., Bedford County's first full-time district attorney, is chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Young Lawyers Division (YLD).

A member of the Bedford County, Pennsylvania and American Bar associations and the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, Higgins is co-chair of the PBA YLD's Statewide High School Mock Trial program. He served as PBA YLD Zone 8 chairperson from 2001 to 2005 and on several panels and Continuing Legal Education programs sponsored by the PBA YLD.

In addition, Higgins has served as a reverse mentor, teaching other PBA members about the benefits of online legal research. Higgins has supported the Bedford County Bar Association by chairing its committees for pro-bono activities, community relations and CLE.

Active in his community, Higgins is president of the Bedford Rotary Club and is a past president of the Bedford Lions Club.

Higgins earned his bachelor's degree from Villanova University and a juris doctorate from Widener University School of Law.