David D. Smith began his law practice in 1982 on Main Street in Norman, Oklahoma. Since then he has focused mainly on criminal defense.
This has been my main interest for a couple of reasons. For one thing, it’s exciting, never dull, and a great way to get out of the office and into the courtroom. The primary reason, though, is more important: people who find themselves charged with a crime are in trouble, sometimes in terrible trouble. Often they’re frightened and don’t know where to turn. I firmly believe that helping people in trouble is my purpose in the world. Criminal defense isn’t just my job, it’s my life’s work and one of my reasons for being here.
During his career, David has handled every kind of criminal case there is, from traffic tickets to death penalty murder. His track record speaks for itself.
I believe in fighting hard for my clients, but just as important, I try very hard to listen to them and help them however I can.
Professional credentials matter. David has not only received all three of the most prestigious awards for criminal defense lawyers in Oklahoma, he’s also been privileged to serve on both the faculty of the Trial Lawyers College, teaching other lawyers all over the country how to better serve their clients, and the faculty of the National Judicial College, where he helped develop the curriculum for a multi-disciplinary course on Best Practices in Capital Litigation.
One of the best and most fulfilling things I get to do is to serve as a mentor and educator for other lawyers.
He also proudly serves as legal advisor to the Police And Community Trust (PACT) Initiative here in Oklahoma.
Education
- University of Oklahoma, B.A in Letters – 1979
- University of Oklahoma College of Law, Juris Doctorate – 1982
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Oklahoma Bar Association
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Oklahoma Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
Honors and Awards
- 2006, OCDLA President’s Award for Outstanding Advocacy
- 2012, John Adams Award, Outstanding Indigent Defense
- 2016, Clarence Darrow Award, honoring the State’s best criminal defense lawyer