Voice of the Heroes of Justice Episode 7: Spokane County District Court Judge Jeffrey R. Smith

For episode seven, WSBA President Francis Adewale interviews Spokane County District Court Judge Jeffrey R. Smith.

Judge Smith had an unconventional path to the bench, with a 16-year career in medicine, as a physician associate. In 2001, he made the decision to pivot to law and graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law in 2004.

Judge Smith was elected to the Spokane County District Court bench in 2016 and elected to full terms in 2018 and 2022. The court is comprised of eight judges and roughly 80 employees, handling between 40,000 and 50,000 cases annually. Judge Smith currently serves as presiding judge and also oversees the Mental Health Court and DUI Therapeutic Court dockets.

In this episode Judge Smith discusses his career, how working in medicine and the law can be surprisingly similar, the importance of listening with empathy, and some personal anecdotes, including advice for new lawyers, and more.