Judge William E. Smith was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island by President George W. Bush in 2002. He served as Chief Judge from 2013 to 2019, becoming the youngest person ever to hold that position in the District of Rhode Island. He assumed senior status in January 2025 and retired in January 2026. Judge Smith now works as a mediator and arbitrator. 

Judge Smith has been active in federal judicial administration and education, serving on the Judicial Conference Committees on Judicial Resources, Information Technology, and Financial Disclosure; as chair of the Federal Judicial Center’s Committee on District Judge Education; and as a mentor for newly appointed and mid-career judges. He served on the Judicial Conference of the U.S. until his retirement. He serves on numerous community boards and is the past chair of the board of the Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, Rhode Island, where he has taught as an Adjunct Professor for 15 years. 

Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Smith was a partner at Edwards & Angell in Providence, Rhode Island, the firm he joined after graduating from law school. His practice focused primarily on labor and employment law and representation of state and municipal agencies, colleges and universities, non-profits, and private employers. For one year, in 1999-2000, Judge Smith ran the R.I. Office of Sen. Lincoln Chafee.