Culver “Skip” Smith III counsels and represents lawyers, law firms, and others on ethics, professional responsibility, professional disciplinary proceedings, disqualification and sanctions motions, malpractice, and loss prevention. He also serves as an expert witness in litigation involving such matters. In addition, he counsels and represents applicants for admission to the bar. He provides more
than forty-five years of experience in the field, as well as experience in a wide variety of civil litigation and appeals and in law-firm management. Smith is a past president of the Palm Beach County Bar Association and served two terms on The Florida Bar Board of Governors. He is a member of The Florida Bar Professional Ethics Committee (which issues advisory ethics opinions) and twice served as its chairperson. He served on The Florida Bar Hawkins Commission on the Discipline System. He served as a member of The Florida Bar’s Special Committee to Review the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct in 1984 and again as a member of its Special Committee to Review the ABA Model Rules 2002. He served as Vice Chairman of The Florida Bar Special Commission on Professionalism. He is a long-time member of the Palm Beach County Bar Association Professionalism Committee, which he has chaired. He also has served on and chaired a Florida Bar grievance committee. Smith is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and served for several years on that organization’s Legal Ethics and Professionalism Committee. He is an active member of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers and of the Florida Association of Bar Defense Counsel. He has written and lectured extensively on lawyer ethics and professional responsibility. His service to the public and the profession has been recognized by his receiving The Florida Bar President’s Award of Merit in 1988 and 1994 and the Palm Beach County Bar Association’s Professionalism Award in 2002. Smith has long been active in the community, including years of service on the board of directors of the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County and on the Division Advisory Board, South Coastal Division, of Children’s Home Society of Florida. He currently is a member of the Hanley Foundation board of directors. He earned a B.A. from Washington and Lee University in 1964 and a J.D. from Washington and Lee University College of Law in 1967. Following graduation from law school, he served a law clerkship at the District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District, then a tour of active duty in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG), before returning to West Palm Beach and entering private practice in 1972. Smith resides in West Palm Beach with his wife, Dr. Donna Marks, herself a psychologist and award-winning author. He and has two children, two grandchildren, and three stepchildren. His interests include piano, grammar and writing style, and all things baseball.
