Annie Smith Elected to College of Labor and Employment Lawyers

Annie Smith, Wiley H. Davis Professor of Law, has been selected for induction as a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers (CLEL), one of the highest professional honors in labor and employment law.

The CLEL is a non-profit professional association honoring the leading lawyers nationwide in the practice of labor and employment law. Fellows are recognized as distinguished members of the labor and employment community who promote achievement, advancement and excellence in the practice by setting standards of professionalism and civility, by sharing their experience and knowledge and by acting as a resource for academia, the government, the judiciary and the community at large.

Smith will be one of seven CLEL fellows in the state of Arkansas. She and other Class of 2026 Fellows will be formally inducted at the annual CLEL dinner in Washington, D.C., in November during the college's 30th anniversary celebration.

"I am deeply grateful to my former students and colleagues from other institutions who generously served as references, my School of Law colleague Cynthia Nance and the current CLEL members who nominated me for this honor," Smith said.

Nance said the award recognizes Smith's expertise, leadership and tireless advocacy. "Annie's service to the people of the state, to the legal profession and to her students is extensive and deeply impactful," Nance said. "Throughout her career, she has distinguished herself not only through her leadership and contributions to the bench, bar and academy, but also through her unwavering commitment to mentoring and developing future lawyers. Her investment in students has shaped countless careers and exemplifies her dedication to the next generation of the profession. Her election by her peers to the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers reflects the extraordinary esteem in which she is held by both the bar and the academy."

Smith's scholarship and professional contributions address important issues concerning labor exploitation, including forced labor and human trafficking. At the School of Law, she directs the Civil Litigation and Advocacy Clinic and the Human Trafficking Clinic.

She earned the Equal Justice Distinguished Service Award and the Best Legal Writing Award from the Arkansas Bar Foundation and Arkansas Bar Association. She has twice received the Law School's Dean's Circle Faculty Award for Service and was honored as an Outstanding Faculty Mentor by the U of A's Office of the Provost.

Smith's scholarship examines issues related to enforcement of workplace rights and anti-trafficking laws. Her scholarship has appeared in publications including the Villanova Law Review, New York University Review of Law and Social Change and Washington Law Review. Her most recent article (co-authored with Aaron Halegua), "State Approaches to Private Enforcement of Human Trafficking Law," is forthcoming in the Northeastern University Law Review. Her service includes her role as chair of the board at Legal Aid of Arkansas, an organization that provides free civil legal services to Arkansans, and co-chair of the Arkansas Human Trafficking Council's Training Subcommittee.

Smith has provided expert commentary to local, national and international media outlets. She regularly delivers professional training and provides technical assistance to practitioners and organizations, including the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy.

Prior to joining Arkansas Law, Smith practiced at Legal Services of New Jersey and taught at the George Washington University School of Law, where she also received her LL.M. She earned her B.A. from Brown University and her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin.