Kerry E. Smith

Kerry Smith is a senior staff attorney in the Homeownership and Consumer Rights Unit at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, where she represents low-income consumers victimized by abusive, unfair, or predatory practices and homeowners facing mortgage foreclosure.  Ms. Smith also engages in regulatory and legislative advocacy on behalf of her clients. She is an expert on payday lending, and has led a statewide coalition that has worked successfully to keep predatory payday loans out of Pennsylvania.

Ms. Smith has a long-standing commitment to consumer advocacy and public interest work. She joined CLS as an Independence Foundation Fellow after coordinating state-level consumer protection policy across the country for the National Association of State Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs). Prior to entering law school, Ms. Smith served as the Director of Consumer Education with the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs, managing the agency’s alternative dispute resolution programs and a consumer information hotline.

Ms. Smith is a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA), and the former Co-Chair of the Pennsylvania Chapter of NACA.   She received the 2013 Legislative Advocate of the Year award from NACA and the 2012 Excellence Award from the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN), and was included in 2010 Next Generation of Leadership: Rising Stars, presented by Super Lawyers.

Ms. Smith earned her undergraduate degree from Oberlin College and her law degree from Northeastern University School of Law, where she was awarded the distinction of Public Interest Law Scholar in recognition of her commitment to public service.