About J. Smith

Mr. Smith has lived in Charlotte for most of his life. He is a graduate of Charlotte Country Day School and North Carolina State University. He received his law degree from Mercer University where he was a member of the Dean’s List and President of the Federalist Society. Mr. Smith began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney for the 26th District in Mecklenburg County, prosecuting both felony and misdemeanor cases. In 2006, Mr. Smith entered private practice, focusing primarily on criminal defense. Over the course of his career, he has represented clients charged with everything from minor traffic violations to homicide. He has many years of experience in Mecklenburg district and superior courts and has argued cases in front of the North Carolina Court of Appeals, the North Carolina Supreme Court, and the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, VA. Mr. Smith is frequently asked to appear on television news programs to provide his legal insight into developing stories. In 2013, and again in 2014 he was named the Charlotte Observer's Readers’ Choice Best Lawyer in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been listed as a Super Lawyer in North Carolina since 2011. He is considered one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the United States by the National Trial Lawyers Association.