About
Your Advocate in the Courtroom
Bob Smith brings a unique perspective to criminal defense that few attorneys can match. With over 42 years of experience spanning Maryland's entire justice system, Bob has served on the street making arrests in countless criminal and traffic cases AND on both sides of the courtroom—starting as a police officer, serving next as a prosecutor, and, for the past 28 years, fighting for his clients as a dedicated defense attorney.
Meet Bob
Robert N. Smith, III, Esquire
​Education & Early Excellence​
Bob's commitment to excellence began early. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1984. He thereafter graduated as valedictorian from the Police Academy. Even as a student, Bob demonstrated his passion for teaching law by serving as a Teaching Assistant in the Criminal Justice and Criminology Department at UMCP.​​
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Police Officer (1983-1990)​
Bob began his career in law enforcement, serving with the Ocean City Police Department (1983-1986) and Howard County Police Department (1986-1990). He developed his skills building all types of cases; from felonies to criminal and traffic misdemeanors. He investigated, arrested suspects, and testified in court. That experience now benefits his clients. Bob became certified in several technical areas of law enforcement and continued in his love of teaching, serving as a Field Training Officer, instructing new recruits.
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​Legal Education & Law School Leadership
While working as a police officer, Bob pursued his legal education, earning his Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1992. He was selected by the law school faculty to serve as a Teaching Assistant while still a student—a rare honor that demonstrates his academic excellence. Bob remains a benefactor of the law school to this day.
​Prosecution Experience (1990-1997)
While in law school, Bob served as a Law Clerk in the Office of State's Attorney for Baltimore County (1990-1993), then as Assistant State's Attorney for Carroll County (1993-1995). As a Senior Assistant State's Attorney for Carroll County (1995-1997), Bob prosecuted everything from DUI cases to murder trials in both adult and juvenile court systems, gaining invaluable insight into how the prosecution builds and presents cases.
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Defense Attorney (1997-Present)
Bob made the transition to defense work in 1997, and formed his own law firm in 1999. This career shift allowed him to utilize his law enforcement and prosecution experience to defend clients in the very cases that he once personally investigated and prosecuted.
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Community Leadership​
Professional Service:
- Past President, Bar Association of Carroll County
- Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Member, Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys' Association
- Member, Maryland State Bar Association
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Teaching & Training:
- Guest lecturer for Maryland State Police Academy
- Instructor for multiple county police departments
- Teacher's Assistant, University of Maryland Criminal Justice Institute
- Field Training Officer for both the Ocean City and Howard County Police Departments
"My personal goal is to serve each client with specialized individual attention, while aggressively incorporating my broad legal experience, with the highest integrity, to achieve superior results. Having worked in three aspects of the criminal justice system in Maryland gives me unique insight into how to best defend my clients."
- Robert Smith, Personal Philsophy
