Robyn Smith
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Employment Litigation Attorney in Louisville, KY
Louisville, KY 40207
- Employment Litigation: Plaintiff (70%),
- Civil Rights (20%),
- Appellate (10%)
- Free Consultation
Founder of the Law Office of Robyn Smith, Robyn Smith represents clients in Louisville, Kentucky, in civil rights matters, appellate law issues and employment litigation. Passionate about representing workers against unfair employment practices set by employers, she is a lifelong mediator, listener and advocate for those who may have the odds stacked against them. With a family history of service, she is committed to serving injured workers in her community as they take on insurance companies, large corporations and employers.
Admitted to practice in the state of Kentucky, Ms. Smith has more than a decade of experience fighting for the rights of others. She is also admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th and 7th Circuits, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, the U.S. District Court for the Western and Eastern districts of Kentucky, the Virginia Supreme Court and the Kentucky Supreme Court.
At Indiana University, Ms. Smith graduated with the highest distinction with a Bachelor of Science in business, economics and public policy. She then attended the University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law, where she graduated cum laude with her Juris Doctor.
A talented educator, Ms. Smith has taught classes in business law for both undergraduate and graduate level students, as well as macroeconomics, microeconomics and law for accountants. She is coach of the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law Client Counseling Team and was named the Inaugural Kentucky Legal Aid Pro Bono Champion in 2020.
- 70%Employment Litigation: Plaintiff
- 20%Civil Rights
- 10%Appellate
Employment Discrimination, Wrongful Termination, Retaliation, Employment Law - Employer, Americans with Disabilities Act, Race Discrimination, Discrimination, Appeals
Selections
Super Lawyers: 2020 - 2021
To: Robyn Smith
Super Lawyers: Potential Client Inquiry
Additional Sources of Information About Robyn Smith
About Robyn Smith
Admitted: 2008, Kentucky
Professional Webpage: https://robynsmithlaw.com/about
Honors/Awards:
- Super Lawyer® Rated: Employment Litigation (Plaintiff)
- Coach, Brandeis School of Law Client Counseling Team
- Kentucky verdict and trial publication named Smith runner-up for plaintiff-side Trial Lawyer of the Year, after three large jury verdicts for wrongfully terminated workers, Runner-Up for Plaintiff-Side Trial Lawyer of the Year, Kentucky Trial Court Review, 2018
- Inaugural year for this award, first recipient; awarded by Kentucky's Legal Aid organizations for service in training and organizing pro bono efforts for the pandemic unemployed populations, Pro Bono Champion, Kentucky's Legal Aid organizations, 2020
Bar/Professional Activity:
- Virginia Supreme Court
- United States Supreme Court
- Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
- Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Southern District of Indiana
- Eastern and Western District of Kentucky
- Kentucky Supreme Court
- Admitted to Kentucky bar, 2008
- Legal Aid's Together Lawyers Can Program
- Brandeis Inn of Court
- Admitted to U.S. Supreme Court, 2021
- Admitted to Virginia Bar, 2015
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Presenter: "How to Be What You Can't See," Program for Non-Traditional Students in Conjunction with Mothers Esquire at University of Louisville, 2020
- Presenter: "Abusive Relationships in the Legal Profession," University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law, 2021
- Organized training and mobilization of Kentucky volunteer attorneys to secure representation for workers unemployed/affected by pandemic in unemployment system, 2020
- Served as a panelist for Louisville Bar Association's Gender Equality Committee's seminar addressing sexual harassment in the legal profession; taught Legal Aid and Workers Rights Task Force seminars discussing constitutional challenges to address anti-worker practices and policies in state agencies., 2019
- Minimum of eighty hours per year of unpaid community service. Includes: Small business formation and contract support Wills, end-of-life planning, and trusts for low-income and single-parent households Non-profit organization State agency representation
- Barrister, Louis D. Brandeis Inn of Courts
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- Indiana University Adjunct Professor, Adjunct Professor of Business/Economics
- Symposium: Presenter and Author of article addressing need for unemployment benefits and insurance reform, Author/Presenter, Filling Out Forms, Standing In Line: Addressing the Toll of the Modern Unemployment Insurance Scheme, University of Louisville Law Review, Symposium, Administrative Law, Employment, Law, Legal, Unemployment
- In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, I helped Legal Aid put together a training series to teach lawyers how to represent workers in unemployment appeals. The program resulted in a record number of volunteer applications for Legal Aid, which will be reflected in greater access to free legal help for the unprecedented number of newly unemployed workers., Lecturer, Together Lawyers Can: COVID 19 Unemployment Appeals, Legal Aid of Kentucky, Kentucky Workers, Labor And Employment, 2020
- Discuss use of civil suit advocacy to correct systemic problems in state unemployment insurance agency, Guest Lecturer, Kentucky Legal Aid State Convention, Law, 2019
- Participated in panel discussion of sexual harassment in the legal profession, as well as the impacts, approaches, and solutions, Panelist, Sexual Harassment in the Legal Profession, Louisville Bar Association Gender Equality Section, Legal, 2019
Verdicts/Settlements:
- Secured more than a million dollars in total settlements during global pandemic, 2020
- Marshall v. Rawlings Co LLC Unanimous federal jury verdict against mid-size Kentucky employer on disability discrimination. Post-verdict judgment approximately $650,000, 2018
- Hunt v. Universal Truckload Service Early suit offer-of-judgment of $75,000 in case involving nominal wage damages. Sum not inclusive of attorneys’ fees, 2018
- Turner v. Norton Hospital, co-counsel, Disability Discrimination verdict against major regional hospital. Post-verdict judgment over $1.2 million, 2018
- Ward v. Louisville Metro Race retaliation verdict against city. Post-judgment award over $1 million, 2018
Representative Clients:
- Nichols v. KUIC and Norton Healthcare -- Secured to-be-published decision from Kentucky Court of Appeals holding that a statute that permits non-lawyers to represent employers in unemployment proceedings is unconstitutional, 2019
- Hickey v. General Electric Unanimous Kentucky Supreme Court opinion confirming employee can sue for wrongful opposition to unemployment insurance benefits, 2018
Other Outstanding Achievements:
- Published in Above the Law's "Motherhood and the Law" series: article discussing the experience of trying multiple cases over the course of a standard pregnancy term, 2019
Educational Background:
- Indiana University, highest distinction 4.0 GPA Outstanding Graduate in Business Economics and Public Policy Founder, Economics Club, 2005
Robyn Smith:
Last Updated: 5/3/2021