Event salutes Hope native’s judicial rise
8th Circuit’s first black chief hailed for kindness, humility
Lavenski Smith of Little Rock, who on March 11 officially became the first black chief judge of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, was honored Friday at a ceremony in Little Rock’s federal courthouse as a “gentle, humble man” who has quietly become an important role model.
Smith, 58, has been a judge on the federal appellate court since 2002. He took over the chief judgeship, a largely administrative position that also gives him more input into the federal judiciary’s administrative policies and budget, after the seven-year term of William Jay Riley of Omaha, Neb., expired. The position is routinely passed on to the next most-senior judge on the court who is 65 or younger.
The passing of the sword in Smith’s case is historic not only because he is the first black man and only the second Arkansan to hold the prestigious title, but also because, as a Hope native, he represents the southernmost pocket of the most southern state in the circuit. The other six states in the circuit — the Dakotas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri — are decidedly Midwestern and traditionally regarded as more progressive.
Senior U.S. Circuit Judge Morris Arnold of Little Rock, the only other Arkansan to hold the chief judge position, presided over the hourlong
ceremony that attracted federal and state judges from across the state, 8th Circuit executives, state officeholders, 22 of Smith’s current and former law clerks from as far away as Idaho, and a contingent of friends, family members and other well-wishers.
U.S. District Judge Leon Holmes opened the ceremony with a prayer, setting the theme by referring to Smith as “a gentle and humble man.” Arnold referred to Smith’s “gentle and unassuming demeanor,” and called him “the public face of our state in the 8th Circuit.”
U.S. District Judge Brian Miller, a black man from Helena-West Helena who is in his fifth year as chief judge in the Eastern District of Arkansas, recalled how Smith “talked me through the process” when Miller was first under consideration for his judgeship in 2007, before he was nominated by President George W. Bush.
“He told me about his life and his family … and how he, much like me, never saw himself becoming a federal judge when he was growing up,” Miller said. He explained, “I thought it was something that wasn’t open to me.”
Miller said that young black men who lack family ties to positions of power “need to see role models like Lavenski Smith,” who worked as a janitor before going to law school and later became one of the first people hired by Mike Huckabee, a fellow Hope native, after Huckabee became governor. Miller said Smith also provides a positive contrast to the fading but stereotypical image of Arkansas as a place of “barefooted hicks.”
“He makes me proud as an Arkansan, a Southerner and a black man,” Miller said. Turning to Smith, he said, “Judge Smith, you are the right man at the right time.”
Huckabee, addressing the crowd via closed-circuit video, recalled an early job he had working as a radio announcer in Hope, giving play-by-play reports of Smith playing baseball.
“I’ve always said that if I ever made it to the White House and had an opportunity to put someone on the Supreme Court, my first choice would be Vence Smith,” said Huckabee, a two-time presidential candidate, using Smith’s nickname.
Smith thanked everyone for taking time to honor him, singling out a retired dentist from Hope, Jon Leim, who drove in for the ceremony with his wife, Martha.
Smith said the couple made a big impact on him as a youth by opening their home “to kids trying to do sports and needing to be mentored.” The Leims later said they retired to Magnolia after Jon Leim worked for 45 years in Hope.
Smith saved most of his gratitude for his “lovely bride” of 36 ½ years, Trendle, and her “unconditional love.”
“She loved me when I was a janitor,” he said. “She loved me through any number of other positions and roles, and she still does.”
With characteristic humility, Smith acknowledged his position as a role model but emphasized, “It’s not really about me. It’s about a moment. It’s about recognizing the advancement and the changes taking place in our nation.”