Gregory D. Smith, Owner
Gregory D. Smith has over 30 years experience and has received both state and national awards for his legal work. In November, 2019, the ABA Journal, the national magazine of the American Bar Association, published a feature article on Mr. Smith’s unique legal practice. He was included in Mid-South Super Lawyers for his work in Family Law in 2019. In 2001, Mr. Smith was selected to the Tennessee Bar Association as the Pro Bono Attorney of the Year. He has been listed in Who’s Who In American Law regularly since the early 1990’s and received the Lawyers.com Client Distinction Award in 2013. In 2015 and 2016, Mr. Smith was included in the Top 100 Tennessee Attorneys in Criminal Law. In 2015, Mr. Smith participated in the invitation only Alliance Defending Freedom International Appeals Masters Contest.
Areas of Practice
- Criminal Law
- Civil Law
- Military Law
- Family Law
- Appeals
Special Training
- Appellate Judge Skills, National Judicial College, 2018
- Tribal Courts, National Judicial College, 2017
- Special Jurisdiction Courts, National Judicial College, 2015
Bar Admissions
- Tennessee, 1988
- U.S. Federal Court, 1988
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Tennessee
- U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit
Education
- Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama
- J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence – 1988
- Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
- B.S., Bachelor of Science – 1985
- The National Judicial College, University of Nevada – Reno (Multiple Judicial Certifications)
- Harvard University, Nonprofit Organizations Leadership (Executive Education Certification)
- Montana State University, Department of Native American Studies (Graduate Certification)
Published Works
- Native American Appellate Courts, Journal of Appellate Practice & Process, Vol. 19, No. 1 (2018)
- Succession Problems from Artificial Insemination, Juvenile & Family Court Journal, Vol. 40, No. 1, (1989)
- Contributory Negligence as a Matter of Law, Tort & Insurance Law Journal, Vol. 23, No. 3, (1988)
- Termination of Parental Rights, Children’s Legal Right’s Journal, Vol. 11, No. 2, (1990)
- Tennessee Municipal Judges Bench Book, TN. Admin. Office of Courts (2014)
- TACDL Guide to Juvenile Justice In Tennessee, TN. Assn. of Criminal Defense Lawyers (1993)
Representative Cases
Representative Clients
- Clarksville-Montgomery County Regional Airport Authority
- Hope Pregnancy Center
- Community of Hope, First Church of the Nazarene
- Tabernacle Christian School
- Former Governor Ray Blanton
- Cordarrelle Patterson, NFL All-Pro
References
- Lt. Gen. Hubert Smith, U.S. Army Ret. (Airport Board Chair)
- Cordarrelle Patterson, NFL All Pro
- William “Sammy” Stuard Jr., President of F&M Bank (Airport Board Chair)
- Servella Terry, Executive Director of Tabernacle Christian School
Classes/Seminars
- Evidence for Judges, National Judicial College, 2016 to Present
- Rural Courts, National Judicial College, 2016 to Present
- Tennessee Judicial Academy, Tennessee AOC, 2012 to Present
- Judicial Ethics Training, Tennessee Municipal Judges Conference, 2002 to Present
- Tribal Appellate Courts, National American Indian Court Judges Association, 2015 to 2018
Honors & Awards
- Mid-South Super Lawyers (Family Law) (2019)
- Profile/Featured Article on Mr. Smith in ABA Journal (Nov. 2019)
- Tennessee Bar Association Pro Bono Attorney of the Year (2001)
- American Jurisprudence Book Award, Military Justice (1988)
- Outstanding Young Men of America (1988)
- Who’s Who of American Colleges & Universities (1984)
- Outstanding Tennessee Graduate, Cumberland School of Law (1988)
- Outstanding Senior, Middle Tennessee State University (1985)
- Tennessee Municipal Judge of the Year (2017)
- Who’s Who In American Law (1993 to date)
- The Trial Lawyers Top 100 (Criminal Law) (2015 & 2016)
- Martindale-Hubbell/Lawyers.com Client Distinction Award (2014)
- Tennessee Court of the Judiciary (2004-2009)
Professional Associations & Memberships
- Federal Public Defender Appointment Panel, Member, 1990
- Austin Peay State University, Adjunct Professor, 1989-1993
- Tennessee Bar Association, Member, 1988
- American Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division, Chairman, Juvenile Justice Committee, 1990
- Montgomery County Bar Association, Secretary and Treasurer, 1989
- National Judicial College, Faculty, 2016 to Present
- Tennessee Municipal Judges Conference, President, 2018 to Present
- U.S. Department of the Interior’s Court of Indian Appeals, 2019 to date (Chief Judge 2019-2020)
- NHBPI Supreme Court, Chief Justice, 2017 to Present
- Pawnee Nation Supreme Court, 2015 to Present (Chief Justice 2019-2020)
- Stockbridge-Munsee Court of Appeals, 2018 to Present (Chief Justice 2018-2019)
- Bishop Paiute Court of Appeals, Justice, 2017 to Present
- Gila River Indian Community Court of Appeals, Alternate Appellate Judge, 2015 to Present
Pro-Bono Activities
- Radical Mission Compassionate Ministries, 2012 to Present
Ancillary Businesses
- Municipal Court Judge
- Native American Tribal Court Appellate Judge
Languages
- American Sign Language
Fraternities/Sororities
- Phi Alpha Delta