MEMBER SPOTLIGHT | MEMBER PROFILE
CHAMPIONING FAMILIES
AND JUSTICE IN CARROLL COUNTY SAMANTHA Z. SMITH LAW OFFICES OF SAMANTHA Z. SMITH, P.A.
SAMANTHA Z. SMITH,
is a family law lawyer who has dedicated herself to helping people through some of the most emotionally challenging times of their lives. A Westminster resident and graduate of the University of Maryland, Samantha has argued before Maryland’s Court of Special Appeals and Court of Appeals, contributing to significant cases in domestic relations and criminal law.
Photo courtesy of Travis Marshall Photography
“
My best accomplishments are helping clients on a day-to-day basis manage their divorce and hopefully come out of it in the best place they can mentally, emotionally, and financially.
Her practice focuses on family law, personal injury, employment, contracts, debt collection, consumer issues, landlord/ tenant disputes, criminal defense, and general civil matters, including adoptions and guardianships. She has been appointed as a Best Interest Attorney for children in divorce cases and serves as a settlement conference officer for the Circuit Court for Carroll County. Samantha actively volunteers for the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service and Carroll County’s domestic self-represented litigant clinic. She has held leadership roles, including chairing the Family Law Subcommittee for the Carroll County Bar Association and the Ethics Panel for the Carroll County Board of Education. She has served on the Judicial Nominations Commission and was shortlisted for a Circuit Court vacancy. Samantha is affiliated with the Maryland Association of Justice, Maryland State Bar Association, and Carroll County Bar Association, demonstrating her commitment to both her profession and community. Samantha was selected to Super Lawyers for the years 2020-2025, one of the most prestigious honors for top-rated attorneys in the nation. Why did you enter the legal profession? I became a lawyer because I liked the intellectual exercise of arguing and advocacy. Along the way, I became a family law lawyer and dedicated myself to helping people through some of the most emotionally challenging times of their lives. What are some accomplishments you've achieved during your career? I have done a fair amount of appellate advocacy, including two cases in the Supreme Court of Maryland and a number of reported decisions in the Appellate Court, which I have truly enjoyed. But my best accomplishments are the ones no one knows about. Those accomplishments are helping clients on a day-to-day basis manage their divorce and hopefully come out of it in the best place they can mentally, emotionally, and financially. Describe a memorable MSBA event or product that has had an impact on you personally or professionally. MSBA programs have always been extremely valuable to me. I have always looked forward to the Family Law Update to keep my knowledge current. Last year's Legal Summit had so many great programs that I learned a tremendous amount about some other areas of law that I handle, like landlord/tenant and some estate and trust matters.
How do you spend your free time? I am an avid reader. Running is the thing that keeps me sane and off medications. What is an interesting fact about you that no one would guess? I used to make art out of marshmallow Peeps for the annual Peep Show in Westminster. Do you find time to relax and unwind? I do, but it is difficult. As a solo practitioner in a small town, we are overworked, and I work long hours. My county has seen the retirement of many excellent attorneys in recent years. We need more family law lawyers. We need people who want to live and work in our community. We have many solo attorneys, and so many don't feel that they can devote the time and money to hiring associates. I think it is important to have a robust local bar with enough attorneys to meet the needs of the community, and in recent years, Carroll County has started to struggle with that. It's something I worry about.
MARYLAND BAR JOURNAL | VOLUME 7 ISSUE 1 23