Paul M. Smith is currently a Senior Advisor for the Campaign Legal Center, after serving as their Senior Vice President. He also is a Visiting Professor from Practice at Georgetown, where he teaches Constitutional Law and Election Law. Until 2017 he was in private practice at the firm of Jenner & Block LLP. He had an active appellate practice for several decades, including oral arguments in 21 Supreme Court cases in a wide range of cases but emphasizing civil rights and civil liberties issues. Among his important victories have been Lawrence v. Texas, the landmark gay rights case, and Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Assn, establishing the First Amendment rights of those who produce and sell video games. He was awarded the ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice’s prestigious Thurgood Marshall Award for his work promoting civil rights and civil liberties.
Q: What does being an ABF Fellow mean to you?
First and foremost, it’s a way to support the important research work of the ABF that highlights key aspects of the law and our legal system. In addition, being a Fellow provides opportunities to get to know other leaders of our profession at the local level and across the country. I am glad to be involved.
Q: Where do you consider your hometown and what is your favorite thing about it?
I suppose that would be Washington, DC. I don’t know if it constitutes a “favorite thing”, but I chose to practice law here because the legal issues are (at least to me) the most interesting and compelling. And, they never stop!
Q: Why did you decide to pursue a career in law?
Like most young people, I hoped to use the law to help other people and promote social justice. When I went to college, the Watergate scandal was unfolding and lawyers were at the center of that whole remarkable series of events. Some, of course, were being prosecuted, but others were using their skills to right the wrongs that had been created in the Nixon years. That was an influence on me. Happily, I feel that my legal career has allowed me to get involved in impactful work promoting civil rights and civil liberties. It was the right choice for me.
Q: If you hadn’t pursued a career in law, what would you have done?
I thought about going to grad school to study political science. I’m not sure how that would have worked out!
Q: Who is your professional hero?
It’s not the most original answer, but I have to say Thurgood Marshall. When I was lucky enough to clerk for Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell, Marshall’s chambers were just down the hall and I got to experience his personality and his commitment to justice, at least just a little. I remember Justice Powell said he considered him the most important American of the 20th Century, because of what he accomplished in his dogged pursuit of civil rights.