Stephen Smith

Stephen F. Smith is the Diane and M.O. Miller II Research Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame Law School, where he has been since 2009. Previously, he held the John V. Ray Research Professor title at the University of Virginia School of Law and served as a Visiting Professor at Notre Dame in 2008. His expertise lies in criminal law, criminal procedure, constitutional law, and federal criminal law, with a focus on capital punishment and sentencing reform.

Smith earned a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law. He clerked for Judge David B. Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court. Before joining academia, he practiced law at Sidley & Austin, served on a House subcommittee investigating arms transfers, and taught as an adjunct at George Mason University School of Law.

His research explores themes such as overcriminalization, federalization, and the intersection of judicial activism with constitutional interpretation. Notable works include critiques of corporate criminal liability, the machinery of capital punishment, and the legacy of the Rehnquist Court.

Smith has contributed to debates on legal reform through articles addressing sentencing guidelines, judicial restraint, and the ethical dimensions of criminal justice. He remains active in community service and civic projects.