Bea Ann Smith has been a trained mediator for twenty years and served as a justice on the Third District Court of Appeals in Texas for sixteen years. While on the bench she attended the prestigious Course in Dispute Resolution Training from the National Judicial College. After retiring from the court, she has served as a mediator, arbitrator, and appellate consultant to lawyers. For the same period, Bea Ann has been a dedicated professor of undergraduates and law students at the University of Texas, learning as much about the law and writing from her students as they hopefully learn from her. She continues to be involved in judicial education nationally and internationally.
	Mediation and Arbitration
	In keeping with her experience on the appellate court, Justice Smith mediates cases in many areas of the law, including: dissolution of partnerships; contract and other commercial disputes; personal injury claims; libel, slander, and defamation disputes; probate matters; family law disputes; regulatory cases, and public policy disputes involving governmental entities. When the situation or the contract calls for arbitration, Bea Ann offers efficient and fair outcomes as an arbitrator.
	Appellate Consultation
	Justice Smith is available to conduct a moot court to help lawyers refine the logic and presentation of an appellate court argument. Bea Ann is proud of her reputation as a “superb legal writer.“ She has made valuable contributions to lawyers by editing briefs and motions before they are filed. For years she has taught judicial writing courses for judges in Texas and across the country. For five years she has taught a course at the University of Texas School of Law called “Writing for the Court.“ She also teaches a writing seminar to University of Texas undergraduates in the Plan I Honors Program.
	Judge Smith received her law degree with honors from the University of Texas School of Law where she was an editor on the Texas Law Review and Order of the Coif. She holds a master’s degree from Brandeis University, and was a Plan II graduate with honors from the University of Texas at Austin. Judge Smith has served as President of the National Association of Women Judges and on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Women Judges. She is a member of the American Law Institute. You may read her most recent article on expanded judicial review of arbitration awards here.
	Bea Ann accepts assignments to mediate or arbitrate in Austin and across the state. She is available outside of Texas by special arrangements. To schedule a dispute resolution process or an appellate consultation, please contact Bea Ann at 512 422 7474 or beaann@beaannsmith.com