Hall of Fame 2025: Jeffery Smith ’73

A man wearing a light-colored suit and a woman in a black dress and jacket stand in front of a green wall that is lined with trophies
1973 alumnus Jeff Smith and his wife, Patricia Smith, at the grand opening of Stetson Law’s Advocacy Institute.

After a long career in the Citrus County justice system, 1973 Stetson Law alumnus Jeff Smith is enjoying the retiree life with his wife, Patricia (“Trish”) in Inverness, Florida.

His legal career spans decades as a powerful advocate, and he credits Stetson Law with giving him the opportunity to have an impact within the justice system. As a Board of Overseers member and University Trustee who regularly sits in on classes, he is incredibly engaged with his alma mater.

“He and Trish’s impact on the campus is really tremendous,” said Stetson Law Dean D. Benjamin Barros. “Their support comes with personal involvement. Jeff really cares about the experience that we’re giving our students.”

At a November 1, 2025 ceremony at the Don CeSar on St. Pete Beach, Florida, Smith was inducted into the Stetson University College of Law Hall of Fame, an honor that follows years of impassioned involvement with and generous support of his alma mater.

Becoming a Stetson Lawyer

After serving in the Army and earning his undergraduate degree at the University of Florida, Smith set his sights on law school. Shortly after he took the LSAT, Stetson Law offered him a full scholarship.

He wore a suit to class and was always prepared for his professors to put him on the spot.

A picture of dozens of graduating law students in ceremonial regalia. This is the Stetson Law 1973 graduating class.
Stetson Law Class of 1973

During a recent and long-overdue campus tour, Smith said seeing the students convinced him it was time to support his alma mater.

“It is my moral obligation to give back,” he said.

He and Trish’s gifts include establishing an endowed scholarship and supporting construction of Stetson’s new Advocacy Institute, where the stunning trophy room and the Banyan Courtyard fountain entrance were named in honor of their generosity.

A meaningful career

Though Smith initially focused on tax law and estate planning, he found his passion while serving on a criminal prosecution task force.

Four people in casual Stetson attire smile for the camer.
Left to right: Stetson University President Christopher Roellke, 1973 alumnus Jeffery Smith, Trish Smith, and Stetson Law Dean D. Benjamin Barros.

Working in the juvenile justice division of the prosecutor’s office in Citrus County at a time there was no juvenile court, Smith established its first drug, mental health, and juvenile court.

In private practice, Smith defended those accused of homicide and crimes involving narcotics, but questioned whether the cutthroat nature of criminal law was for him.

“If you can’t win ethically and righteously, it isn’t worth doing,” Smith has said. This led him back to the state prosecutor’s office, a decision he knew was right because he went home every evening knowing he was doing something positive for the community.

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Media contact: Kate Bradshaw
[email protected] | 727-430-1580
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