Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University College of Law
Professor Jennifer Smith has devoted the last twenty years to teaching at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University College of Law. With a solid background in complex corporate litigation, she transitioned into academia with the aim of shaping the next generation of lawyers. She has taught Civil Procedure and Electronic Discovery, among other advanced legal topics. Additionally, she co-authored “A Student Electronic Discovery Primer: An Essential Companion for Civil Procedure Courses,” which is in its second edition. Her scholarly work is frequently cited by both federal and state judges and appears in prestigious legal journals.
Before her tenure in academia, Professor Smith achieved remarkable success at Holland & Knight LLP, where she ascended to partner and became the youngest department chair. As the chair of the South Florida Health Law Group, her leadership earned her a performance-based bonus. She practiced in both the Washington, D.C. and Miami offices, where she gained recognition as an “extraordinary associate” for her outstanding litigation skills.
During her time as an associate, Professor Smith took a three-month leave from the firm to volunteer at the Legal Resources Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa to help impoverished South Africans. Before joining the firm, Professor Smith served as a federal judicial law clerk to the Honorable Joseph W. Hatchett on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Notably, Professor Smith was the founding chair of the Washington Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. Her contributions to the legal community have been widely recognized, earning her accolades such as being named a “Leader of Tomorrow” by Ebony Magazine in its 50th Anniversary edition and “Young Lawyer of the Year” by the Washington Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.
As an academic activist, Professor Smith has played a pivotal role in advancing fair pay, leadership equity, and career progression for women in legal academia through strategic litigation. Specifically, these include salary increases for female faculty members of up to $23,000 each; the elimination of a $20,000 gender-based salary gap between male and female associate deans; overdue promotions to full professor positions for female faculty members; and the implementation of a structured salary framework for new hires at the law school.
Throughout her career, Professor Smith has remained dedicated to the principles of equity, education, and empowerment, making her a true pioneer in the landscape of legal education and a tireless advocate for gender pay equity.
