Attorney Mickey Smith Enjoys Helping People And Serving The Community

Growing up in Williamson, W.Va., there were two things that Michael “Mickey” Smith knew from an early age: he would grow up to be an attorney, and he would always be called Mickey.

From the first grade, his mother insisted that he remember to request to be called Mickey, since he was named after his uncle. Smith’s parents also were insistent concerning a college education. Neither of them attended college, but their children would.

While studying engineering at Virginia Tech, Smith met his wife-to-be, Lizz; she was an education major. After earning his engineering degree, graduating with honors, Smith received a merit scholarship and continued his education at the Duke University School of Law, where he graduated in the top six percent of his class.

In law school, Smith was elected to the Order of the Coif, an honor society for law school graduates. Smith is also a member of Mensa International, the International High IQ Society. Though Smith has received accolades for being incredibly intelligent, he is also humble.

“I don’t consider myself to be especially smart, but I do think I am hardworking. I have always been hardworking, and I like school. If I won the lottery, I think that I would go back and be a professional student. I like to learn,” Smith said.

Education is important to the Smith family. Lizz, a recently retired school teacher, discovered that retirement wasn’t for her. She missed teaching and eventually returned to the classroom as a substitute teacher.

Learning from her experience, Smith doesn’t ever plan to retire. “I think if you like what you do, I wouldn’t be in a rush to find some other thing that you might not like,” Smith said.

It may seem as though Smith can do anything he puts his mind to, but, he is a self-proclaimed terrible golfer. In fact, he said there are many things he isn’t great at. However, his job is one thing he does well.

“I like helping people. I like talking to people and working with people,” he said. “I don’t view it as drudgery. It’s a joy most of the time, not all of the time, but most.”

Smith is driven by his passion for his work, which has fueled his success. “I think you have to have a passion for what you do,” he said. “Law is a job that requires a lot of hours, and usually young lawyers who aren’t passionate about it don’t last very long in the profession.”

In the early years of his career, Smith represented large insurance corporations. That ended in 2002, when he changed his focus.

“It just wasn’t rewarding any more. Contrary to the media, not all cases are fake and phony, so if you’re an insurance defense attorney, your job is to minimize what they pay out, sometimes to the detriment of people who are deserving,” he said.

Now he works on the other side of the same type of issues as a partner at the law firm Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith, which recently opened a Wellington office. “We’re on the offense; trying to get money for deserving people,” he said.

In addition to the office in the Lake Wellington Professional Centre, the 90-year-old firm also has offices in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Stuart. “My wife and I have lived in Wellington for 26 years,” Smith said. “I have connections and clients in the community, so, as a convenience to people, we opened an office here.”

What people see on television dramas versus real life courtroom drama, he said, is actually the opposite. It’s far more preparation and less performance. “It’s kind of totally flipped from TV, meaning on TV, they’ll prepare for 10 minutes and the flashy stuff is 50 minutes,” Smith explained.

Smith is happy to see that Florida may be toughening up laws regarding texting while driving, making it a primary offense, one for which law enforcement can pull you over, rather than a secondary offense.

“Everyone who drives knows that texting is extremely dangerous and leads to a lot of accidents,” Smith said. “We’re advocating for it to be passed because we see the effects of it. There are always going to be accidents, but we’re safety advocates. We want to lessen accidents — our families are out on the road, too.”

From e-mail and phone calls to texting and GPS, there are so many distractions for today’s drivers. “I just started a new case where somebody was texting while driving a truck. They blew through a stop sign and hit a motorcycle, and that happens a lot,” Smith said.

He also advises everyone to have uninsured motorist insurance and make sure they always have an attorney when heading into court.

In his personal life, Smith is a doting husband. For their 30th wedding anniversary, he surprised Lizz with a visit to his alma mater, which included renewing their vows in Duke University’s chapel, where they were married.

The Smiths are avid travelers, having just visited their seventh continent — Antarctica. Together, they marveled at the pristine beauty of the place, possibly preserved because so few people visit.

Smith’s adolescent dream drove him from small-town America, but his heart has kept him in Wellington, where he uses his passion and drive to help the community.

Two of the many organizations that receive his attention are the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club of Wellington and the Wellington Community Foundation. He serves on both of their boards and enjoys serving the community he loves.

Smith was smitten with the Boys & Girls Club as soon as he toured its facility.

“I knew about it. I knew that it existed, but I didn’t really know,” he said. “I guess like a lot of people, I didn’t realize the extent of the need. I really think that the organization is wonderful.”

There is a sign in the club noting that it is easier to build strong young people rather than fix broken adults. “That’s what appeals to me. It’s a great mission,” Smith said.

Community service is important to Smith, who tends to focus on the elderly, as well as the youth of the community. Both are the goals of the Wellington Community Foundation, where he is a founding board member. He is also a member of the Wellington Rotary Club. “It’s a passion of mine to be involved in my community,” Smith said.

It all fits into his life’s goal to help others better their lives. “I would like for folks to be able to say that I was someone who gave back to the community,” he said. “I am a huge fan of Wellington and have been for 25 years. I want to devote my time trying to help.”

For more information about attorney Mickey Smith, call (561) 655-2028 or visit www.lesserlawfirm.com.