Steven D. Smith received his Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and his Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of California at Berkeley. Mr. Smith studied Mexican culture and history as a Pacific Rim scholar at the University of California, and has traveled and lived extensively in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, Guyana and Ecuador. He has taught and lectured on a wide variety of subjects at Virginia Tech and the University of Richmond School of Law, including business law, science, and technology. He has also taught introductory law for high school students, and lectured on diverse subjects such as telecommunications policy, trade policy, environmental law, and the human rights of indigenous people. Mr. Smith is a member of the California bar and the Virginia bar, and has assisted Navajo, Tohono O’odham, and Guyanese villagers with major environmental issues in national courts and before Congress and the United Nations. He is the son of William Alfred Smith, Esquire, who spent his early childhood in the Ramapo mountains, and grandson of Ira Smith, a professor and educator from Hillburn, NY.​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍​​‍​​​​​‍​‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‌‍​​‌‌​​‌​​​‍‌​‌​‍‌​​‌‌‍​‌​‍‌​‌​​​​‌‍​​​​​‍‌​‍‌​​​​‍‌​‍​​‍‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‍​‍​‍​​​​​‌‍​​‌‌‍‌​‌‍​​​‌​‌‍​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌​‌‍‌‍‍​‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‌‍​‍​‌‍​​‍​​‍‌​‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​​‌‌‍​‌‌‍​‌​‌‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‍​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‌‍​‍​‌‍​​‍​​‍‌​‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​​‌‌‍​‌‌‍​‌​‌‌​​​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​​‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌‍​​‌‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​​‌​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍​​‍​​​​​‍​‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‌‍​​‌‌​​‌​​​‍‌​‌​‍‌​​‌‌‍​‌​‍‌​‌​​​​‌‍​​​​​‍‌​‍‌​​​​‍‌​‍​​‍‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‍​‍​‍​​​​​‌‍​​‌‌‍‌​‌‍​​​‌​‌‍​‍‌‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌​‌‍‌‍‍​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‌‍​‍​‌‍​​‍​​‍‌​‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​​‌‌‍​‌‌‍​‌​‌‌​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‍​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‌‍​‍​‌‍​​‍​​‍‌​‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​​‌‌‍​‌‌‍​‌​‌‌​​​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​​‍​‍‌‌