James McCauley Smith

James M. Smith is an attorney whose diverse professional background gives him unique insight into the practice of personal injury law, business law, divorce, family law, criminal defense, and insurance bad faith litigation. His career path began with a job as a medical technician for surgeons at two local hospitals, then to a position as a stock broker at a local bank, and finally to a career in the law. These experiences allow him to navigate the idiosyncrasies associated with medical and pharmaceutical claims, as well as issues of asset division in divorce, business or partnership disputes.

Mr. Smith is a respected trial lawyer who has been court-appointed to serve on a federal panel of public defenders and elected to serve in an administrative role for the state of Alabama. While serving on the Federal Defenders Panel, Mr. Smith was called tasked with the responsibility of representing indigent criminal defendants accused of felony crimes. His success on the federal panels contributed to his appointment as a Deputy Attorney General for the state of Alabama from 1995 to 2004, during which time he served on a regulatory advisory board that existed to create standards by which to prosecute members for ethical violations. His other notable accomplishments include:

• The representation of military servicemen or spouses in divorce matters
• The representation of former spouses in pursuing modification and enforcement of divorce, support or custody decrees
• The successful defense of woman whose sister sought custody by alleging that the parent was unfit
• The prosecution of homeowner’s insurance companies who unjustly denied claims of policyholders after storm damage
• The successful defense of a woman indicted for “substantial assistance” to drug dealer boyfriend, resulting in sentence reduced to one count of possession and time served
• The defense of a client indicted under federal law for setting off explosives on a military base

Mr. Smith graduated from Georgia State University in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. He later attended the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama where he earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1992. Mr. Smith has been BV Distinguished by Martindale-Hubbell®, an honor reserved to lawyers who are peer-review selected for demonstrating excellence in legal practice.

Practice Areas

Admitted

• Alabama State Bar, April 1993
• United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, 1995
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama, 1996
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, 1996
• United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, 1997

Education

• Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, B.A., 1985
• Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama, J.D., 1992

Member

• Alabama State Bar
  • Environmental Law Section
• Morgan County Bar Association
• Governor Bob Riley’s Black Belt Action Commission
• Infrastructure Sub-committee (2003-2006)

Appeals

• Young v. SouthTrust Bank, NA, 51 F. Supp. 2d 1274 (1999)
• Carrie Contractors, Inc. v. Blount Const. Grp. of Blount, Inc., 968 F. Supp. 662 (1997)
• Hales v. City of Montgomery, 347 F. Supp. 2d 1167 (2004)

Contact

• JSmith@AlaAttorney.com