Joseph W. Smith

Joseph W. Smith is a seasoned family law attorney with Jewell, Childress, Breakstone, Smith & Olswing, PLLC, in Memphis, Tennessee. Driven by a deep respect for the traditions and legacies of the families he serves, he combines thoughtful advocacy with strategic litigation to protect his clients’ interests in divorce and domestic relations matters.

Born and raised in Nashville but a proud Memphian by marriage, Mr. Smith earned his bachelor’s degree from The University of Memphis before pursuing his Juris Doctor at Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. In his final semester, he sharpened his courtroom skills as a student attorney in the Child & Family Litigation Clinic, where he also received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for achieving the highest grade in his class.

Committed to giving back to his alma mater, Mr. Smith sits on the Alumni Chapter Board of the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. In 2019, he co-chaired the 10th Annual Pillars of Excellence Awards, helping raise nearly $160,000 in scholarship funds for deserving law students. His dedication to trial advocacy led him to the Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute in Boulder, Colorado – an intensive program sponsored by the American Bar Association (ABA) and the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) – where he trained under the nation’s leading family law trial lawyers, judges and expert witnesses.

Beyond his flourishing practice, Mr. Smith volunteers regularly at the Memphis Area Legal Services’ Saturday Legal Clinic, offering no-cost consultations to individuals in need. His community leadership has earned him recognition in the Memphis Business Journal’s annual 40 Under 40 (2021) and Best of the Bar (2023) awards. He has also chaired the Tennessee Bar Association’s Family Law Section executive committee and holds board positions with both the Memphis Bar Association and the Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association.

A first-generation lawyer inspired by a high school internship in Nashville, Mr. Smith now mentors Memphis-area students through the Memphis Bar Association’s Summer Law Internship Program. By fostering the next generation of attorneys from underrepresented communities, he continues to honor the path that led him to the practice of law.