The Honorable Rodney Smith is a United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida. Prior to his appointment as a District Judge in June 2019, Judge Smith served for more than 11 years as a judge of Florida’s Eleventh Judicial Circuit. Judge Smith was raised in the Liberty City community of Miami, Florida where he graduated with honors from Miami Northwestern Senior High School. Judge Smith graduated, cum laude, from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in 1996 and graduated, cum laude, from Michigan State University College of Law in 1999. Before joining the state bench in 2008, at 33, Judge Smith served as an Assistant State Attorney in the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office. He subsequently served as a Senior Assistant City Attorney for the city of Miami Beach, a trial attorney with McGrane, Nosich & Ganz, P.A., and as in-house counsel for Liberty Mutual and United Automobile insurance Companies.

Judge Smith serves as an adjunct professor for the University of Miami. He is also an Eagle Scout and Boy Scouts troop leader. Judge Smith is a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Judge Smith has volunteered countless hours in his community and is a member of the 5000 Roles Models of Excellence Project and 100 Black Men of South Florida. Judge Smith’s honors, awards and recognition include the FAMU National Alumni Association Distinguished Award, Miami Northwestern Alumni Hall of Fame Inductee, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) Jurist of the Year, Haitian Lawyers Association Ally Award, National Eagle Scout Association Outstanding Eagle Scout Award, Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award and the National Black Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers. Judge Smith and his wife, Tangelia, Ed. D., are proud parents of two children.