Dr. Patricia Smith

Biography

Patricia Smith is a lecturer at Penn Carey Law with a rich background in legal practice and education. She began her legal career in 1980 as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Baltimore City, where she tried hundreds of criminal cases. Her experience as a trial attorney includes serving as an Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Counsel for the Maryland Department of the Environment, as well as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Maryland. In addition to her litigation work in state and federal courts, Smith has held roles as Chief Counsel for Legal Aid Bureau in Baltimore and was appointed People's Counsel for the State of Maryland by Governor Robert Ehrlich in 2003. Moving to Washington D.C., she advised the United States Department of Veterans Affairs on significant class action lawsuits. In 2015, she returned to Maryland to serve as the Director of Legal Services for the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Smith has dedicated a significant part of her career to teaching, having spent 26 years teaching Legal Writing and coaching moot court teams at the University of Baltimore School of Law. She has also lectured extensively on ethics related to law enforcement and criminal prosecution. Smith earned her JD from the University of Maryland Carey School of Law and holds an MA in Classics from Indiana University, along with a BA from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Research Interests