On June 12, 2019, Paul Smith, CLC’s Vice President, Litigation & Strategy was recognized by Lambda Legal with the Courage in Action Award. This award acknowledges Paul for his work as an "unrivaled champion for equality, fighting for and defending justice and opportunity for all." In a video honoring Paul, Kevin Cathcart, the former Executive Director of Lambda Legal, described Paul as an "amazingly accomplished lawyer and [an] amazingly nice person."
Throughout his career, Paul has argued 21 cases in front of the United States Supreme Court. One of the most notable was his landmark victory in the 2003 case, Lawrence v. Texas, a major milestone in the fight for gay rights in the United States, ending an era in which gay, lesbian and bisexual people were criminalized simply by virtue of whom they loved.
Paul joined CLC in 2017 as Vice President, Litigation & Strategy, and works with our attorney teams across issue areas to protect and improve our democracy through innovative litigation strategies. In 2017, Paul argued in front of the Supreme Court again for CLC's case against partisan gerrymandering (the first to be heard by the Supreme Court since 2004) Gill v. Whitford.
CLC is honored to have Paul as our Vice President, and we are excited about this recognition he is receiving for his courageous work in the pursuit of improving our democracy. No one is more deserving of this award than Paul!
Read more about Paul and his work with CLC, and learn more about Lambda Legal.