Divisional Supervising Attorney
Kerry Smith (she/her) is a Divisional Supervising Attorney in the Homeownership and Consumer Rights Unit at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia where she leads the economic justice practice group. The team represents low-income Philadelphians facing debt collection lawsuits and other predatory financial practices and helps student loan borrowers obtain discharges and affordable payment plans. Kerry also defends homeowners in mortgage foreclosure and engages in regulatory and legislative advocacy on behalf of her clients. She serves on the Philadelphia Consumer Financial Protection Taskforce and is working with the Philadelphia Bar Association on a project to examine reforms to the process for handling collection cases in Philadelphia Municipal Court. As an expert on payday lending, Kerry 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), the 2011 CLS Equal Justice Award, and was included in 2010 Next Generation of Leadership: Rising Stars, presented by Super Lawyers.
Kerry received 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. She received her B.A. from Oberlin College.
