Magistrate Brenda J. Smith announces her candidacy for re-election to a seventh term as Greenbrier County Magistrate. She has over 23 years of “on-the-job” training and public service as a magistrate, with more than 14 of those years serving as Chief Magistrate.
Smith, who is also a lawyer, is the longest serving judicial officer in Greenbrier County currently holding elected office. She is one of only three lawyers now serving as magistrate in the entire state of West Virginia.
In addition to earning her Doctor of Jurisprudence law degree from West Virginia University, Smith’s educational credentials include a diploma from Greenbrier East High School, a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and a Master of Arts degree from Marshall University, as well as a Master of Science degree from WVU.
Prior to opening her own law practice, Smith worked as a law clerk in the Office of the United States Attorney, Southern District of West Virginia. She was appointed in 1983 by the President of the United States to serve the United States Selective Service System as an Appeal Board member.
As a lawyer, Smith operated her law office as a sole practitioner for over 26 years. During that time, she completed hundreds of hours of continuing legal education classes in order to maintain her license and to expand her knowledge of the law.
Smith has also received hundreds of hours of general magistrate training offered by the West Virginia Supreme Court with special additional training in the areas of domestic violence, diversity, video conferencing, Microsoft Office, and court security.
Smith has worked with West Virginia Supreme Court administrators in revising the Bench Guide for West Virginia Magistrates as well as numerous magistrate court forms. She currently serves on the Magistrate Court Education Committee.
During her tenure as magistrate, Smith worked extensively with West Virginia Supreme Court administrators in developing forms for, and rules governing, the transfer of domestic violence jurisdiction from magistrate court to family court. Having demonstrated expertise in that area of the law, Magistrate Smith participated as a trainer for family law masters on the procedural handling of domestic violence cases.
In 2007, the Greenbrier County Magistrate Court was tapped to be the first court to participate in the West Virginia Supreme Court’s Unified Judicial Application project. Smith continues to actively participate in the development, testing and use of this computer case management system.
Smith has been a member of the West Virginia State Bar and the Greenbrier County Democratic Women’s Club. She has served as a deacon and elder in the Old Stone Presbyterian Church and as a volunteer coach in the public school system. A lifelong resident of Greenbrier County, Smith is the daughter of the late Nadine L. Smith and the late Edgar Lewis Smith, who served as the Greenbrier County Prosecuting Attorney for 27 years.
It has been, and continues to be, Smith’s great honor to serve the citizens of Greenbrier County as Magistrate. She asks for your continued support and vote for her in the non-partisan election for Magistrate, Division 3, which will be held on May 10.
