Judge William W. Young was elected to the Twelfth District Court of Appeals in 1986. He was re-elected in 1992 and 1998. Prior to being elected to the court, Judge Young was a judge on the Warren County Court of Common Pleas. He was elected common pleas judge in 1970 at age 33, and joined his father, Judge Warren C. Young, on the bench to form the first father-son judicial team in Ohio. Judge Young served as presiding judge of the Warren County Court of Common Pleas from 1972 to 1987.

Judge Young attended Miami University and the Chase College of Law, and was admitted to the bar of Ohio in 1961. He practiced law until he was elected judge of the Warren County Court of Common Pleas. Judge Young served as prosecuting attorney for the City of Lebanon from 1963 to 1970; he has also served as special counsel for Ohio Attorney General William Saxbe and as solicitor for several municipalities in the Warren County area.

Judge Young and his wife, Barbara, reside in Lebanon. They have two children and four grandchildren.