He was a professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at The George Washington University for over 20 years.

[3] In addition to his transformative scholarly contributions, he was a teacher-scholar and mentor to many of today’s leading criminologists and sociologists.

[2][6] Chambliss' first academic position was at the University of Washington, where he joined the faculty just after receiving his Ph.D.

In 1967, he followed Donald Cressey, one of his early mentors, to the University of California, Santa Barbara.

In 2012, the Society for the Study of Social Problems created the William J. Chambliss Lifetime Achievement Award to "recognize career-spanning excellence and achievement in the area of law and society.