Lavenski Smith

Vence Smith
Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
Assumed office
March 11, 2017
Preceded by William J. Riley
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
Assumed office
July 19, 2002
Appointed by George W. Bush
Preceded by Richard S. Arnold
Personal details
Born Lavenski R. Smith
(1958-10-31) October 31, 1958
Hope, Arkansas
Education University of Arkansas (B.A.)
University of Arkansas School of Law (J.D.)

Lavenski R. "Vence" Smith (born October 31, 1958) is an American judge, who is the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He previously served as an Arkansas state judge, and has been a federal judge since 2002.

Education

Smith, a lifelong Arkansan, 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.[1]

Career

Before joining the federal bench, Smith worked in both private practice and public service. Notably, Governor Mike Huckabee had appointed Smith as an Associate Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court as well as a Commissioner on the Arkansas Public Service Commission. He was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the Arkansas Court of Appeals in 1998. Smith had also been an assistant professor at John Brown University and an Executive Director of the Rutherford Institute.[1]

Federal judicial service

He was nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit by President George W. Bush on September 4, 2001 and was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 15, 2002 by voice vote.[2] He has been Chief Judge since March 11, 2017.

References

  1. 1 2 "Department of Justice Biography of Judge Smith". Archived from the original on November 21, 2001. Retrieved 2006-04-10. , 2001
  2. ↑ "PN889 - Nomination of Lavenski R. Smith for The Judiciary, 107th Congress (2001-2002)". 15 July 2002.
Legal offices
Preceded by
Richard S. Arnold		 Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
2002–present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
William J. Riley		 Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
2017–present
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