J.D. Smith

Former Georgia Court of Appeals Chief Judge J.D. Smith currently serves as of counsel with The Smith Law Practice in Atlanta. He joined the firm after serving on the Court of Appeals for almost 20 years, including as chief judge from 2003 to 2004. Prior to joining the Court of Appeals in 1993, he was chief judge of the Superior Court in the Northeastern Judicial Circuit. He initially joined the Superior Court bench in 1995 after a contested election and practicing law in Gainesville for more than one decade. Smith earned his bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Florida, his J.D. from the University of Georgia, a Master of Laws in Taxation from Emory University and an LL.M. in Judicial Process from the University of Virginia. He is the recipient of the UGA School of Law’s Distinguished Service Scroll Award.