(June 7, 1931 - )

CHARLES L. SMITH
State Bar President, 1985-1986

Charles L. Smith is of counsel at Jackson Walker, L.L.P. in San Antonio. Raised in San Antonio, Smith received his bachelor’s degree in 1953 from Texas A&M University and his J.D. from St. Mary’s Law School (where he graduated magna cum laude) in 1955. While in law school, he served as president of the student bar association.

Following law school, Smith served in the U.S. Army as an infantry officer in Korea for 16 months. He was then appointed assistant city attorney for the City of San Antonio. He served in that position until 1960. He then joined the law firm of Groce, Locke & Hebdon, where he practiced for many years.

Smith has been active in community, church and bar activities. He served as president of the San Antonio Junior Chamber of Commerce, a director in the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, a director of the Downtown San Antonio YMCA, a director in the Texas Cradle Society, and as president of the San Antonio A&M Club. He has also been active in the Alamo Kiwanis Club. In recognition of his contribution to San Antonio, he was named as the Outstanding Young Man of San Antonio in 1964. He has been a ruling elder in the Covenant Presbyterian Church where he has also served as a Sunday School teacher, youth director and softball and basketball coach.

Smith has been very active in local and State Bar activities. He has served on the District 10 Grievance Committee six years, three as its chairman. After holding nearly every elected office in the San Antonio Bar Association, he served as its president in 1976-77. He was then elected to the State Bar Board of Directors on which he served from 1978 until 1982. He was elected as chair of the board of directors and served from 1980 until 1981. He also served on the State Bar Executive Committee from 1980 until 1982. Smith is a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. Additionally, Smith served as chair of the Executive Director Search Committees in 1980 and 1981, and as vice chair of the Dues Referendum Steering Committee in 1981, the 1984 Convention Committee, the James C. Watson Inn of former Officers and Directors, and the Bar Oversight Committee. Smith also served as president of the Association of Insurance Attorneys in 1976-77 and on the board of directors of the St. Mary's Law School Alumni Association and the Texas Association of Defense Counsel. He is also a member of the International Association of Insurance Counsel and the Federal Bar Association.

Smith was named by St. Mary’s University School of Law as the Distinguished Law Alumnus in 1982. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Bar Foundation, and an advocate of the American Board of Trial Attorneys.