Christopher B. Smith

Christopher B. Smith has been in private practice since 2010; practicing in family law, bankruptcy, simple estate planning and administrative/child support cases with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services – Division of Child Support Services.  He currently serves as a Guardian Ad Litem in various family, adoption, probate and civil cases.  Previously he worked at the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office assigned to the child support enforcement division for approximately two and half years. 

He has presented for the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation and St. Clair County Bar Association on Family Law, Bankruptcy and Guardian Ad Litem issues. 

He is a member of: Bankruptcy Association of the Southern District of Illinois (BASIL) – where he served as Treasurer, Secretary, Vice-President, President and Webmaster and is a presenter at the annual conference; the St. Clair County Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), and Illinois Family Support Enforcement Association (IFSEA) and served on the Board of Directors from October 2017 - October 2021.  He is on the Board of Directors for Children First Foundation and served as Board President from October 2015 – 2019; currently serving as Treasurer since November 2019.  He was on the 2015 E-Discovery Committee for the 20th Judicial Circuit.  He has helped organize several CLEs including the annual GAL certification training for the St. Clair County Bar Association and the 20th Judicial Circuit for 2014-present.  He is a 2015 Land of Lincoln Joseph R. Bartylak Pro Bono Award recipient. 

Other volunteer work includes sitting on the board for the Metro-East Interfaith Partnership and has worked on two of Racial Harmony’s Community Wellness panels.  During law school, he worked full-time as a paralegal and interned with the law firm of Pessin, Baird and Wells, a firm with a family law, banking and bankruptcy practice. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Brigham Young University and his J.D. from St. Louis University School of Law and has been licensed to practice law since November 2006.  He lives in St. Clair County with his wife and two sons.  He believes in the rule of law and fairness for all.  He is also a LGBTQ friendly attorney.