wellington | professional
Attorney Mickey Smith Enjoys Helping People And Serving The Community Story by Ray Burow and Deborah Welky Photos by Abner Pedraza
Growing up in Williamson, W.Va., there were two things that Michael “Mickey” Smith knew from an early age: he would grow up to be an attorney, and he would always be called Mickey. From the first grade, his mother insisted that he remember to request to be called Mickey, since he was named after his uncle. Smith’s parents also were insistent concerning a college education. Neither of them attended college, but their children would. While studying engineering at Virginia Tech, Smith met his wife-to-be, Lizz; she was an education major. After earning his engineering degree, graduating with honors, Smith received a merit scholarship and continued his education at the Duke University School of Law, where he graduated in the top six percent of his class. In law school, Smith was elected to the Order of the Coif, an honor society for law school graduates. Smith is also a member of Mensa International, the International High IQ Society. Though Smith has received accolades for being incredibly intelligent, he is also humble. “I don’t consider myself to be especially smart, but I do think I am hardworking. I have always been hardworking, and I like school. If I won the lottery, I think that I would go back and be a professional student. I like to learn,” Smith said. Education is important to the Smith family. Lizz, a recently retired school teacher, discovered that retirement wasn’t for her. She missed teaching and eventually returned to the classroom as a substitute teacher. Learning from her experience, Smith doesn’t ever plan to retire. “I think if you like what you do, I wouldn’t be in a rush
Attorney Mickey Smith has been a Wellington resident for 26 years.
to find some other thing that you might not like,” Smith said. It may seem as though Smith can do anything he puts his mind to, but, he is a self-proclaimed terrible golfer. In fact, he said there are many things he isn’t great at. However, his job is one thing he does well. “I like helping people. I like talking to people and working with people,” he said. “I don’t view it as drudgery. It’s a joy most of the time, not all of the time, but most.” Smith is driven by his passion for his work, which has fueled his success. “I think you have to have a passion for what you do,” he said. “Law is a job that requires a lot of hours, and usually young lawyers who aren’t passionate about it don’t last very long in the profession.” In the early years of his career, Smith represented large insurance corporations. That ended in 2002, when he changed his focus. wellington the magazine | february 2018 111