Jill Smith
Founding Partner
Jill@SSSLawGroup.com
Jill was born and raised in the Midwest and attended Wheaton College (IL) graduating in 1994. She came to the Pacific Northwest in 1997 to attend Willamette University College of Law. She was on Willamette’s Law Review staff, and graduated with a Juris Doctor, Magna Cum Laude in 2000.
In 2000, Jill began her career as a clerk for Judge Walt Edmonds on the Oregon Court of Appeals. After that two-year clerkship, she served as an Assistant Attorney General at Oregon’s Department of Justice, in the Appellate Division, where she briefed and argued more than 40 appeals in two years.
Jill joined this firm’s predecessor, Roy & Simmons, in early 2005. She began defending drivers in collision cases and has obtained successful settlements and/or verdicts for hundreds of them. Over the years, her practice has grown to include defense of cities, counties, schools and their staff, fire districts, and non-profit agencies. She regularly appears in Whatcom, Island, Skagit, Snohomish and King County Superior Courts and federal court for the Western District of Washington. She frequently handles administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Washington Human Rights Commission.
Jill is a certified Title IX Investigator for K-12 Schools. Title IX prohibits, with certain exceptions, any entity that receives federal financial assistance from discriminating against individuals on the basis of sex in education programs or activities.
Jill is an active member of the Bellingham community volunteering for Squalicum Girls Soccer Team, Bellingham Bay Swim Team, and Squalicum Boys Swim and Dive team. She is recognized among top lawyers in Washington having received a “Rising Star” badge from SuperLawyers.com, and a 5-star rating on Avvo.com.