Lavenski Smith

Lavenski Roy "Vence" Smith (born October 31, 1958) is an American lawyer who has served as a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit since 2002, serving as chief judge from 2017 to 2024. He previously served as an associate justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court from 1999 to 2000.

Education Smith is a native of Hope, Arkansas, and graduated from Hope High School. He completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Arkansas in 1981, and a Juris Doctor degree at the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1987.

Career Before joining the federal bench, Smith worked in both private practice and public service. He was in private practice in Arkansas from 1985 to 1987, From 1987 to 1991, Smith was a staff attorney at Ozark Legal Services. He then returned to private practice in Springdale, Arkansas from 1991 to 1994. From 1994 to 1996 he was an assistant professor at John Brown University in Siloam Springs. Smith served as a regulatory liaison with the Arkansas Governor's Office from 1996 to 1997 and then chaired the Arkansas Public Service Commission from 1997 to 1999.

Smith was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the Arkansas Court of Appeals in 1998. Notably, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee had appointed Smith as an associate justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1999, a role he held until 2000. He served as chief judge from 2017 to 2024. In October 2022, Smith was appointed by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to serve as the newest chair of the Judicial Conference's executive committee. His appointment took effect on October 1, 2022.