Steve Smith

Steve Smith is an alumnus of Red Bank High School and native resident of Hamilton County, Tennessee. After graduating from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and working briefly as a geologist across the southeast, he attended law school at the University of Memphis. Coming home to Hamilton County in 2001 after graduation to raise a family, he practiced initially in the civil courts of the Chattanooga region, first at a large defense firm, then later as a partner in a small boutique firm. He is a father of four: three daughters and a son. His wife Mary is a cardiac nurse at Erlanger Medical Center, and together they raise their family on Signal Mountain just on the outskirts of Chattanooga. ‍ Elected in 2014 after having been a prosecutor for a number of years, Steve is currently the Public Defender of the 11th Judicial District. His local office oversaw the creation and establishment of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Mental Health Court, and staffs the many recovery courts tasked with diverting as many people as possible directly into treatment and rehabilitation. He serves as Immediate Past President of the Tennessee Public Defender’s Conference. He also serves on the executive committee of the Chattanooga Bar Association as its Secretary. He is a board member of the Bachman Community Center, an enthusiastic Big Brother in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program and a fledgling sailor, gardener and musician.