Ralph Smiley

Ralph Smiley serves as an Adjunct Professor at Liberty University School of Law and Senior Counsel in Liberty University's Office of Legal Affairs, joining the faculty in August 2023. With extensive experience in legal compliance for educational and healthcare institutions, he bridges academic instruction with real-world legal practice.

Professor Smiley earned his B.S. in Health Information Administration from Augusta University (formerly Medical College of Georgia) and his Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina School of Law. His legal training included clerkships with the South Carolina House of Representatives’ Ethics and Judiciary Committees and U.S. District Court Judge Matthew J. Perry, Jr., a prominent civil rights leader.

His expertise spans healthcare law, regulatory compliance, education law, and civil rights, drawn from decades representing school districts, universities, and healthcare organizations. This practical foundation informs his academic contributions to legal education at Liberty.