Born: Unknown (1960s), United States
Died: NA
Country most active: United States
Also known as: NA
The following is republished from the Badass Womxn and Enbies in the Pacific Northwest Volume 3, in line with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. It was written by Lily Wallin (she/her).
Judge Lori K. Smith was born in Columbus, Ohio and spent her childhood in California, Guam, and New Hampshire before eventually settling in Washington, following her father’s assignments in the United States Air Force. During her upbringing, she directly observed the substantial affects her parents had on assisting others. While her father was active in the Air Force, her mother, a stay-at-home mom, had a crucial role in supporting the community by caring for other families on base and helping airmen who did not have families. To Judge Smith, her mother was more than just an amazing multitasker and caregiver – she was a beacon of compassion and a social worker in her own right. This initially inspired her to want to become a social worker herself, after seeing the joy her mother got from this role.
Judge Smith’s family eventually moved to Fairchild Airforce Base near Spokane, WA, where she attended middle and high school. Despite her initial aspirations of wanting to become a social worker, Judge Smith’s path took a new direction during a pivotal moment in high school; a visit from a representative of Washington State University’s Black Student Union opened her eyes to the importance of pursuing education beyond a four-year degree. This was the first time she considered what she would do instead of pursuing her initial ambitions and going to law school.
After earning her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Eastern Washington University, she then earned her J.D. from the University of Washington’s School of Law. Judge Smith began her judicial career in 2012, when she was appointed to the bench of the King County Superior Court. Prior to her appointment, Judge Smith worked in various positions during her legal career, including being a senior deputy prosecutor for King County and a King County Superior Court commissioner. Throughout her positions, she served the community with integrity and dedication. This led to Judge Smith being awarded the King County Washington Women Lawyers Judge of the Year Award in 2011 and 2023. Though she didn’t originally envision herself becoming a lawyer, let alone a judge, Judge Smith’s unwavering commitment to justice and fairness propelled her to new heights. In 2018, Judge Smith made history when she became the first African American woman to be appointed to the Washington State Appellate Court, shattering both gender and racial barriers. Judge Smith is currently still serving on the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division I, which serves King, Snohomish, Skagit, Island, San Juan, and Whatcom counties.
Judge Smith’s impacts extend far beyond the courtroom’s walls. She has actively worked to improve the judicial system, advocating for social justice, equity, representation, and lending her voice and expertise to countless organizations fighting for change. She has served as the co-chair of the Minority and Justice Commission’s Education Committee, the Gender and Justice Commission’s Tribal and State Court Consortium. Throughout her career, Judge Lori K. Smith has left a profound mark on our judicial system through her unwavering advocacy, service, and dedication.