[4] After his graduation, Smolla served as a clerk for Charles Clark, a judge on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, in 1978–1979.
[8][9] In 2017, in the aftermath of the violent “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Smolla was appointed by Gov.
Terry McAuliffe to serve as a special advisor on First Amendment issues to the Governor’s Task Force on Public Safety, Preparedness and Response to Civil Unrest.
Deliberate Intent described his involvement as attorney for the plaintiffs[13] in the notorious Hit Man book case.
[14] The book was made into a television movie by Fox and the FX Cable Network, and actor Timothy Hutton portrayed Smolla.