Smith currently serves as a senior judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims.

He then worked as an attorney for the Federal Communications Commission (1973) before serving as Assistant to the Special Counsel to the President (1973–74) amid the Watergate Scandal.

Smith joined the Reagan for President campaign as Chief Counsel (1976) and (1980) and served as director of the Executive Branch Management Office of Presidential Transition (1980–81).

Smith was appointed a judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims by President Ronald Reagan and confirmed by the Senate on July 1, 1985,[2] and entered duty on September 12, 1985.

He has spoken and appeared on TV and radio in Estonia, The Republic of South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Italy, Germany, England, Canada, Spain, Switzerland, and Ukraine on behalf of the United States Information Agency and other groups.