Del. William C. Smith, B.A. ’04, J.D. ’09 of Maryland Honored with Taylor Reveley Award
For Public Service Dean Davison M. Douglas (right) presents the Reveley Award, which recognizes outstanding commitment to public service by an alumnus or alumna who has graduated in the past 10 years, to William C. Smith, B.A. '04, J.D. '09. Photo by Gretchen Bedell
The William & Mary Law School Association recognized William C. Smith, B.A. ’04, J.D. ’09, a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, as recipient of the Taylor Reveley Award during the Law School's May 17 Diploma Ceremony. The award is named in honor of William & Mary President and former Law School Dean Taylor Reveley, and recognizes outstanding commitment to public service by an alumnus or alumna who has graduated in the previous 10 years.
Law School Dean Davison M. Douglas presented the award and lauded Smith as someone who has devoted much of his professional life to service. Smith has represented District 20 (Montgomery County) in the Maryland House of Delegates since his election last November.
The first person in his family to earn a college degree, Smith studied for his undergraduate degree in government and law degree at William & Mary. He also holds a master's degree in government from from Johns Hopkins University.
After graduation from college, Smith served in Americorps, working as a community engagement leader for IMPACT Silver Spring. In the years following 9/11, he sought and received a commission in the U.S. Navy Reserves, and continues his service today as an intelligence officer. As a young lawyer, he served as a White House appointee in the administration of President Barack Obama where he worked as a Director for the Homeland Security Advisory Council at the Department of Homeland Security. In his first six months in the Maryland House, Smith has been the primary sponsor or co-sponsor of more than 150 bills, including the Maryland Second Chance Act of 2015, which was signed into law in May.
Douglas noted Smith's creation of the Youth Achieve Scholarship Fund, which helps deserving students with financial need pay for college, as an example of Smith's interest in helping foster the next generation of leaders.
The Law School recognized Smith at the 2009 Diploma Ceremony with the Thurgood Marshall Award for public service. The award citation noted his contributions as co-founder of Youth Achieve, an organization that provides mentorship and tutoring of homeless and at-risk youth in Washington, D.C.
Previous recipients of the Reveley Award include Douglas Bunch B.A. ’02, J.D. ’06 and Douglas Smith, J.D. ’06 (2011), Alexis A. McLeod, J.D. ’07 (2012), Chris Rey, J.D. ’10 (2013), and Latoya C. Asia, J.D. ’09 (2014).
This is the second award created by the Law School Association to recognize public service. The other, the Citizen-Lawyer Award, is also given annually at graduation and recognizes a graduate or friend of the Law School who has demonstrated a lifetime commitment to citizenship and leadership.
About William & Mary Law School
Thomas Jefferson founded William & Mary Law School in 1779 to train leaders for the new nation. Now in its third century, America's oldest law school continues its historic mission of educating citizen lawyers who are prepared both to lead and to serve.