Owen T Smith

Legal scholar Owen T. Smith conducts research on legal and judicial reform as Heritage’s visiting fellow. He also helps keep the legal community informed of developments in law enforcement, local government and economic liberty. For the past 11 years, Smith has served as a law professor at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. During his career he also practiced law with the firm of Marino, Bernstein and LaMarca in Oyster Bay, N.Y. (1968-1997), served as chairman of the New York State Board of Elections (1991-1996), and directed the Center for Long Island Studies at Long Island University (1987-1995). Smith has also been deputy county executive of Nassau County, N.Y. (1980-1987), chairman of the Nassau County Planning Commission (1976-1980), counsel to the New York Senate Committee on Crime and Correction (1972-1976), and counsel to the New York Senate Committees on Villages, Towns and Counties (1966-1972). The author or co-author of more than 20 books and dozens of articles in legal journals, Smith earned his law degree from the St. John’s School of Law, and a bachelor’s degree in economics and government from Trinity College.