Jeff Smith — Criminal Defense Attorney

Jeff Smith is a distinguished criminal defense attorney based in New Orleans, with more than 40 years of courtroom experience representing clients across Louisiana. Born and raised in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, Jeff earned a full tennis scholarship to Tulane University, where he competed from 1971 to 1975 before turning professional. After a period on the tennis tour, he pursued his law degree at Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama, graduating in 1980.

Jeff began his legal career under the mentorship of renowned defense lawyer Ronald Rakowsky, gaining early exposure to high-stakes trial work. To further develop his courtroom skills, he served as a public defender while simultaneously growing his private practice. Over the course of his career, he has tried more than 200 jury trials, handling cases across Louisiana—from Orleans and Jefferson Parish to the state’s most rural courthouses.

In the early 1990s, Jeff emerged as one of Louisiana’s leading attorneys in death penalty defense, representing clients in some of the most complex and consequential trials in the state. Following Hurricane Katrina, he joined the Southeast Capital Defense Program, where he spent five years devoted exclusively to capital cases. To date, Jeff has served as lead counsel in over 50 death penalty trials and countless serious felony cases, earning a reputation as a formidable and respected advocate in the courtroom.

Throughout his decades in practice, Jeff has handled numerous high-profile cases involving public officials, educators, professional athletes, and serious felony defendants. While many of these matters have drawn local and national attention, Jeff’s commitment has remained constant: providing strategic, compassionate, and steadfast representation to clients facing the most difficult moments of their lives.