On August 24, 1965, Smith was nominated by President
Lyndon B. Johnson to a seat on the
United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, vacated by Judge
William Boyd Sloan. Smith was confirmed by the
United States Senate on September 10, 1965, and received his commission the same day. He served as Chief Judge from 1968 until his resignation from the bench on June 1, 1974. Smith then returned to private practice in
Atlanta, Georgia. ==References==