Lisa Anne Smith
LISA ANNE SMITH is the Managing Shareholder in the Tucson office. Her practice emphasizes education law, employment law and civil litigation. She is comfortable in the courtroom and has extensive trial experience in state and federal court and has represented parties in numerous administrative hearings and appellate proceedings. Ms. Smith’s litigation experience includes, but is not limited to, employment and discrimination claims, contract disputes, condemnation and construction matters and tort litigation. She also advises clients on employment issues and defends employers from claims of discrimination filed with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Ms. Smith holds an AV® Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell. She is listed in The Best Lawyers in America®, and in August 2025 Ms. Smith was named the Best Lawyers 2026 Employment Law-Management “Lawyer of the Year” in Tucson.
Ms. Smith graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a B.A. in architecture and philosophy. She received her J.D. in 1995 from the University of Arizona College of Law, where she graduated second in her class. Before practicing law, Ms. Smith taught several philosophy classes at the University of Arizona.
Admissions
Arizona (1995)
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (1996)
Education, Honors, and Awards (Selected)
B.A., magna cum laude, architecture and philosophy, Wellesley College (1989)
J.D., second in class, University of Arizona College of Law (1995)
Graduate fellowship recipient, University of Arizona College of Law (1992-1994)
Member, editorial board, Arizona Law Review
Special mention for obtaining the second highest score on the Arizona bar exam
Listed in Best Lawyers in America©
Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, 2023, U.S. District Court, Tucson Division
AV® Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell (AV is a registered certification mark of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies.)
Professional and Community Activities
Member, State Bar of Arizona
Member, Arizona Council of School Attorneys
Co-chair, Legal Community Against Hunger
Articles and Presentations
Frequent presenter on various topics at the Arizona School Boards Association’s Law Conference since 2005
Presenter, First Amendment topics, Arizona School Administrators’ annual Principal and the Law Conference and Arizona Charter Schools conferences in 2011 and 2012
Reported Cases
Defenders of Wildlife v. Bernal, 204 F.3d 920 (9th Cir. 2000)
Taylor v. Graham County Chamber of Commerce, 201 Ariz. 184 (App. 2001)
Tanque Verde Unified School District No. 13 v. Bemini, 206 Ariz. 200 (App. 2003)