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Washington, D.C.
Phone 202.639.6060
Practice Areas |
Paul M. Smith, Partner PAUL M. SMITH is a partner in Jenner & Block's Washington, DC office who co-chairs the Firm's Appellate and Supreme Court, and Media and First Amendment Practices. He has had an active Supreme Court practice for two decades, including oral arguments in twelve Supreme Court cases. He is best known for his 2003 victory in Lawrence v. Texas, in which the Court found the Texas sodomy statute unconstitutional. It was a pro bono case for the firm. Mr. Smith's other arguments have included LULAC v. Perry and Vieth v. Jubelirer, two congressional redistricting cases; United States v. American Library Ass'n, involving a First Amendment challenge to the Children's Internet Protection Act; and Mathias v. WorldCom (2001), dealing with the Eleventh Amendment immunity of state commissions. His first argument was in Celotex Corp. v. Catrett in 1986. Mr. Smith also worked extensively on several other First Amendment cases in the Supreme Court, involving issues ranging from commercial speech to defamation to "adult" speech on the Internet. In his trial and appellate practice, Mr. Smith represents various clients in cases involving commercial and telecommunications issues, the First Amendment, intellectual property, antitrust, and redistricting and voting rights, among other areas. His recent trial work has included several cases involving congressional redistricting as well as challenges to State video game restrictions under the First Amendment. Mr. Smith graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Amherst College in 1976 and received a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1979, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law Journal. The following year, Mr. Smith was a law clerk to Judge James L. Oakes of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. From 1980-81, Mr. Smith was a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Mr. Smith is a current member of the Board of Governors of the District of Columbia Bar. He is also Chair of the National Board of Directors of the American Constitution Society, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund. Mr. Smith was a member of the Steering Committee of the DC Bar Litigation Section from 1998 to 2001 and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. Since 2003, Chambers & Partners USA has named him one of the country's leading lawyers in the areas of Appellate Litigation and Media & Entertainment Law. In 2007, Chambers & Partners USA also named him one of the country's leading lawyers in the area of First Amendment Litigation. Mr. Smith was also recognized in the 2007 Edition of Washington DC Super Lawyers for Appellate Law and as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in DC. Mr. Smith is admitted to practice in Maryland, New York and the District of Columbia. For additional information, please visit http://www.jenner.com/psmith Recent Supreme Court Cases
League of Latin American Citizens v. Perry (2006) Admissions and Certifications
Education
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