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Meet J.D. Smith
J.D. Smith is veteran advocate for victims of catastrophic injuries. His practice focuses on improving the lives of people who have suffered injuries or harm from unsafe products. J.D. has taken more than 20 cases to verdict and recovered millions of dollars for injured victims in cases involving product liability, automobile collisions, and wrongful death.

A few of Smith's most notable successes include a $497,000 verdict on behalf of Lanette Ramey for injuries she sustained in a head-on collision on I-405. Smith also fought a trucking company that failed to secure its load and caused Ronald Moore severe internal injuries. He received nearly $500,000 in settlements.

J.D. is a member of the ABA House of Delegates and a former president of the Washington State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. He is working on two national efforts with the ABA: the Commission on Youth at Risk and the Presidential Advisory Council on Diversity in the Legal Profession. He is a member of several organizations and has served on numerous boards including the King County Bar Foundation, the Loren Miller Bar Association, Minority and Justice Commission and in his former practice on the board of the Washington Defense Trial Lawyers Association. J.D. is currently serving on the boards of the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, the Northwest African American Museum and the advisory board of the Washington State Equal Justice Coalition.

J.D. is a frequent youth group speaker and was named Chair Emeritus of the Youth and Law Forum, a local program designed to help children understand the legal system and serve as an introduction and encouragement to consider law as career. He is also involved in the Future of the Law Institute, a program hosted by the King County Bar Foundation.


Practice Areas
Plaintiffs Personal Injury


Published Articles and Presentations

Upcoming speaking engagements:

"Bring in the Album; Finding the Story",WSTLA, Seattle, Washington, May 24, 2007",

Past engagements:

Panelist, "Developing a Network", WSBA Bridging the Gap Conference, March 4, 2007

"How the Bar Works: The ABA - Washington's Delegation", WSBA Leadership Institute, February 23, 2007

"Motivating and Recruiting Volunteers" American Bar Association YLD Bar Leaders Academy, Miami, Florida, February 9, 2007

Future of the Law Institute, Mock Trial Demonstration, University of Washington School of Law, November 18, 2007

Panelist, "Building a Book of Business", KCBA, October 25, 2006

"Recent Developments on taxability of personal injury settlements", Washington State Trial Lawyers Association and Paris-American Academy, Lisbon, Portugal, September 19, 2006

“Juror Perceptions and Responses to the Use of Technology and How to Deal with Them”, ATLA Annual Convention, Seattle, July 18, 2006

"Rebuilding Our Communities; Hurricane Katrina catastrophe and its impact on the minority community", ABA Mid-Summer Professional Development Seminar, Detroit, June 10, 2006

Keynote Address, “Everyone will stumble and fall but only Winners Get Up”, WSBA Pre Law Leadership Conference, Yakima, Washington, May 13, 2006

Panelist, “Developing a Network”, WSBA Bridging the Gap Conference, March 4, 2006

“Jury [De]Selection Today”, Winning Your Product Liability Case; Handling Death Cases, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, October 21, 2005

“Gastric Bypass Litigation”, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association and Paris-American Academy, Quebec City, Canada, September 26, 2005

Future of the Law Institute, Mock Trial Demonstration, University of Washington School of Law, summer 2005

“Closing Arguments I & II”, Program Chair and Moderator, ABA National Conference for the Minority Lawyer, Seattle, WA, June 23, 2005

“Plaintiff’s Testimony”, Damages Essentials, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, May 19, 2005

“Damages in Washington Civil Trial Practice”, National Business Institute 6.0 hour CLE, November 17, 2004

Chair, Winning Your Case in Discovery and Depositions, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, November 2004

“Litigating Against the Government; the Nuances of the Government as a Defendant”, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association and Paris-American Academy, Paris, France, September 27, 2004

“Summation in the Modern World”, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association and Paris-American Academy, Paris, France, September, 28 2004

“The Art of Cross-Examination”, Part I: Panelist and Part II: Demonstration, ABA National Conference for the Minority Lawyer, San Francisco, California June 17, 2004

Inaugural Lecturer, “How the Bar works”, Washington Leadership Institute, 2004

“Civil Liability: What you Should Know”, Youth and Law Forum, April 24, 2004

“Superior Deposition Strategies”, National Business Institute 6.5 CLE, April 8, 2004

“A Tribute to a Legend; Joe Gordon, Sr., De Novo, October 2003

“The American Legal System”, Gordon College, October 2003

“Medical Device Litigation in the 21st Century”, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association and Paris-American Academy, Florence, Italy, September 23, 2003

Faculty, Northwest Deposition Program, National Institute for Trial Advocacy, September 9-11, 2003

“Trying your First Premises Liability Case in Washington”, National Business Institute 6.5 hour CLE, August 27, 2003

“Switching Sides; Helpful Defense Techniques for the Plaintiff Lawyer “, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention; Paul Luvera Seminar, July 25, 2003

“The Art of cross examination”, ABA National Conference for the Minority Lawyer, Philadelphia, PA, June 5, 2003

Panelist against Tort Reform, Washington State Orthopedic Association, Socioeconomic Symposium, Chelan, Washington, June 21, 2003

Demonstration: Voir Dire, Trial Skills in the Courtroom, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, May 29, 2003

“The New General Rules of Evidence”, Strategies for the Information Age, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, April 11, 2003

“Rules of the Game” Guidance and Support Panel, Seattle University School of Law, February 27, 2003

“So, you think you want to be a Plaintiff’s Attorney?” Seattle University School of Law, February 5, 2003

"Arguing the Motion for Directed Verdict", Nuts & Bolts of Trial, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, October 31, 2002

Moderator, Auto Cases Replay, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association September 17, 2002

"Liability for elevator injuries: A case to consider", Seattle Claims Adjusters, May 2002

"Caution when buying property on a slope", Seattle Claims Adjusters, April 2002

"Claims Handling Developments”, Seattle Claims Adjusters Spring Conference, 2002

"Motion Practice - Winning before the Hearing is Held", Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association Convention, July 2001

"Jury Selection in a Catastrophic Injury Case", The Jury, Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, May 16, 2001

"New Approaches to Professional Development", WSBA Bar Leaders Conference, June 2001

"Pre Trial Motions/Trial Preparation," WYLD Trial Advocacy Program 2000

"Jury Selection", WSBA CLE Lunch and Learn Series 2000

"Opening Statements", WSBA CLE Lunch and Learn Series 2000

"Jury Selection/Cross Examination", WSBA Annual Mid-Year Meeting 2000

"Strategies for Lawyer Development", Law School Dean’s Forum1999


Memberships
• American Bar Association
• Washington State Bar Association
• Washington State Trial Lawyers Association
• American Association of Justice
• Public Justice
• National Bar Association
• Loren Miller Bar Association
• King County Bar Association


Awards and Achievements
• Super Lawyer, Washington Law & Politics, 2004, 2007
• Rising Star, Washington Law & Politics, 2001-2003


Education
Texas Wesleyan University School of the Law, J.D., 1997
Texas Wesleyan University, B.S., Mass Communications, 1993


Outside the Office
In his spare time, J.D. enjoys working in his yard, hiking, watching movies, traveling, and exercising