Jock M. Smith is a distinguished trial lawyer and recognized as one of America's top civil litigators. President, founder, and senior partner of one of America's largest plaintiffs' law firms, The Cochran Firm, Jock practices law across the United States in the areas of civil litigation. For the past 29 years, Jock has specialized his practice to cases in the areas of automobile negligence, products liability, fraud, nursing home abuse, mass torts, class actions, general plaintiffs' tort liability claims and wrongful death.

In July of 1998, Jock Smith became national law partner to "super lawyer", the late Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., as a founder and senior partner in the national law firm Cochran, Cherry, Givens & Smith, with offices in Tuskegee, Alabama, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Memphis, Atlanta, Washington D.C., St. Louis, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Miami, Jackson, Dallas, Detroit, Birmingham and Dothan, Alabama.

Jock was influenced early in life to become a lawyer just like his father, Jacob Smith, a prominent attorney and civil rights and political leader who represented entertainment giants like Count Basie and national organizations such as the NAACP. Jock earned his law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1973 after graduating with honors from Tuskegee University with a Bachelor of Science degree in history.

Jock has enjoyed a storied legal career serving as President of the Alabama Lawyers Association as well as the Macon County Bar Association. He also has served as a municipal judge in the State of Alabama as well as an administrative law judge for the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. Jock not only serves on the Executive Committee of the Alabama Trial Lawyers Association but also served as a Trial Trustee, the first African American to do so. He also has established himself as one of the most sought after speakers at legal seminars. Martindale-Hubbell has given Smith its highest rating, the AV Rating, and Lawdragon Legal Magazine in Los Angeles, California selected Jock as one of America's Top 500 Trial Litigators in 2006 and 2007. Smith is a member of the American Bar Association and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. In addition, he is a member of the state bar associations of Alabama, Tennessee, District of Columbia, Missouri and New York.

Throughout his career, Jock has obtained numerous record multi-million dollar verdicts in civil cases. On August 18, 2000, he obtained a verdict of 80 million dollars ($80,000,000.00) in the case of Jeter v. Orkin for an elderly black female whose house was destroyed by termites after she was defrauded by the company. Recently, Jock received a record $1.62 billion dollar verdict ($1,620,000,000.00) in the case of Whittaker v. Southwestern Life Insurance Company, et al. for plaintiff Whittaker, a fifty something mother of three who was a victim of fraud arising out of the sale and service of what she thought was a legitimate insurance policy that later proved to be nonexistent. This verdict was reported as the single largest verdict in the nation in the National Law Journal and the Lawyers Weekly USA for the year 2004. This verdict was reported and published in 350 newspapers and magazines nationwide including Jet magazine, Black Enterprise magazine, Atlanta Journal Constitution and New York Times. Additionally, Jock served as plaintiffs counsel along with his late law partner, Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., in the landmark 700 million dollar ($700,000,000.00) environmental settlement against Monsanto, Inc. for residents of Anniston, Alabama, the largest in the nation's history.

Jock recently served as chief counsel for the Rosa Parks Estate and the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development and successfully resolved a case that was filed against them by thirteen nieces and nephews of Rosa Parks. Through Jock's efforts, the case was resolved preserving Rosa Parks' legacy as well as her wishes pursuant to her last will and testament. Subsequently, Jock was appointed as national spokesperson for the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute.

In 2002, New South Books published Jock's autobiography entitled, "Climbing Jacob's Ladder: A Trial Lawyer's Journey on Behalf of the Least of These". A sought after talk-show guest, Jock has appeared on numerous national television and radio programs including, "The Tavis Smiley Show" which airs on National Public Television, "The Bev Smith Show" airing on The American Urban Radio Network, Al Sharpton's "Keeping It Real" radio program that airs on News Talk 1200 WHCB AM, "The Michael Eric Dyson Show" which airs on the same network, "The Ed Gordon Show" of BET Television Network, "Praise the Lord" which is broadcast on the Trinity Broadcast Network, and "The 700 Club" airing on the Christian Broadcast Network.

Jock has received numerous awards among which includes Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degrees from the Pentecostal Bible College, Tuskegee, Alabama and the Montgomery Bible Institute and Theological Center, Montgomery, Alabama and keys to the cities of New Orleans and Memphis. He has been recognized by the Alabama Trial Lawyers Association for tireless dedication and unwavering commitment, inducted into the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and received the Inaugural Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. Journey to Justice Award in 2005 at the National Bar Association Convention.

Partly due to having a long history and commitment to championing environmental issues, Smith was inducted onto the President's Advisory Council of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), making him the first African American to serve on that board. Founded in 1936 by President Franklin Roosevelt, the NWF has been instrumental in exposing cases of environmental injustice throughout the world. Jock is dedicated to helping people who have been injured to obtain justice and fair compensation.