Smith Honored With ‘Pro Bono Service Champion’ Award by the Virginia Access to Justice Commission

Arnold & Porter Commercial Litigation senior associate Preston Smith was recently recognized as a “Pro Bono Service Champion” by the Virginia Access to Justice Commission during the 2024 Pro Bono Summit on June 6, 2024, which celebrates the progress of pro bono legal services in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Commission, established by the Supreme Court of Virginia in 2013, focuses on the civil legal needs of Virginia residents and continually assesses access to justice challenges, bringing together judges, lawyers, representatives from legal aid and social services, as well as other stakeholders.

The Commission recognized Smith as one of the top 10 members of the Virginia Bar with the highest number of pro bono hours for the bar year, highlighting his deep commitment to pro bono work. A sample of Smith’s most recent pro bono work includes challenging North Carolina’s voter identification law at trial, securing significant repairs and remodeling of apartment buildings in Southeast D.C. that were in disrepair in violation of the housing code, achieving a significant settlement for a client who was sexually assaulted while incarcerated, and successfully petitioning the Supreme Court of Virginia to reinstate a prosecutor’s office that was unconstitutionally removed from a criminal case over concerns about a plea agreement.

Outside of his pro bono work, Smith’s practice includes litigating complex commercial matters in state and federal court, defending global companies, executives, and civic organizations in white collar investigations, and conducting internal investigations. Smith joined Arnold & Porter following clerkships with Judge Rhonda Reid Winston of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and Judge Gerald Bruce Lee of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.