{ "id": "ep9v9a466w", "slug": "n-randy-smith", "title": "N. Randy Smith", "updated": "2026-10-15", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law" }, { "id": "society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3", "label": "Article III judges (district and appellate)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges", "label": "United States courts of appeals judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-o-to-s", "label": "Surnames O to S", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-o-to-s" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-o-to-s", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Surnames O to S", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-o-to-s", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021", "label": "United States · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges", "label": "United States courts of appeals judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-o-to-s", "label": "Surnames O to S", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-o-to-s" } ] } ], "excerpt": "N. Randy Smith, born Norman Randy Smith in 1949, is an American jurist serving as a senior judge of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.", "snippet": "N. Randy Smith, born Norman Randy Smith in 1949, is an American jurist serving as a senior judge of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.", "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.appeals-judges.alpha-o-to-s", "markdown": "# N. Randy Smith\n\nNorman Randy Smith (born 1949) is an American jurist serving as a senior judge of the [United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-court-of-appeals-for-the-ninth-circuit) since 2018.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521) He was appointed to the court by President George W. Bush, confirmed in 2007, and assumed senior status on August 11, 2018.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521) Before joining the federal bench, he served as a district judge in Idaho's Sixth Judicial District.[2](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2017/12/14/WEB_Smith_Senior_Status.pdf)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Court | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521) |\n| Appointed by | George W. Bush[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521) |\n| Confirmed | February 15, 2007 (Senate voted 94 to 0)[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521) • [3](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1100049) |\n| Senior status | August 11, 2018[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521) |\n| Born | 1949 in Logan, Utah[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521) |\n| Education | B.S., Brigham Young University, 1974; J.D., J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 1977[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521) |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nSmith was born in 1949 in [Logan, Utah](https://www.edgepedia.org/logan-utah).[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521) He received his B.S. degree from [Brigham Young University](https://www.edgepedia.org/brigham-young-university) in 1974 and his J.D. from BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law School in 1977.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521)\n\n## Legal career\n\nAfter law school, Smith worked from 1977 to 1981 as an associate and assistant general counsel at the J.R. Simplot Company.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521) During that period he was also an adjunct professor at [Boise State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/boise-state-university) from 1979 to 1981.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521) He entered private practice in [Pocatello, Idaho](https://www.edgepedia.org/pocatello-idaho), from 1982 to 1995, where his work included corporate civil litigation and insurance defense cases.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521) He has served as an adjunct professor at Idaho State University since 1984.[2](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2017/12/14/WEB_Smith_Senior_Status.pdf)\n\nIn 1995, Smith was elected as a district judge for Idaho's Sixth Judicial District, and he was reelected in 1998 and 2002.[2](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2017/12/14/WEB_Smith_Senior_Status.pdf) He served in that office until 2007.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521)\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nPresident [George W. Bush](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-w-bush) first nominated Smith to the Ninth Circuit on December 16, 2005, and again on September 5, 2006, and November 15, 2006; none of those nominations received a Senate vote.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521) Bush nominated him again on January 9, 2007, and that nomination was withdrawn by the president on January 16, 2007, the same day Bush renominated him.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521) The Senate confirmed Smith on February 15, 2007, by a vote of 94 to 0.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521) • [3](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1100049) He received his commission on March 19, 2007, filling the judgeship formerly held by Judge Thomas G. Nelson of Boise, Idaho.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521) • [2](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2017/12/14/WEB_Smith_Senior_Status.pdf)\n\nIn a December 1, 2017, letter informing President Trump of his intentions, Smith announced that he would assume senior status on August 11, 2018, his 69th birthday.[2](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2017/12/14/WEB_Smith_Senior_Status.pdf) \"I am fortunate to work with wonderful colleagues and an outstanding staff. I truly enjoy what I am doing and I plan to continue making a contribution as a senior judge,\" he said.[2](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2017/12/14/WEB_Smith_Senior_Status.pdf) He stated that he planned to continue hearing cases and serving the court in other capacities.[2](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2017/12/14/WEB_Smith_Senior_Status.pdf)\n\n## Notable cases\n\nIn *Hunt v. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP*, Smith authored the opinion of the Ninth Circuit panel.[4](https://benchlight.org/judges/n-orman-randy-smith)\n\nIn *Public Watchdogs v. Southern California Edison Co.*, Smith authored an opinion, concurrence, or dissent attributed to him in the panel record.[4](https://benchlight.org/judges/n-orman-randy-smith)\n\nSmith also sat on Ninth Circuit panels in cases including *Rios v. City of Azusa*, *Hanan v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services*, *United States v. Allen*, *Center for Investigative Reporting v. United States Department of Labor*, and *Cesar Alcaraz-Enriquez v. Merrick Garland*.[4](https://benchlight.org/judges/n-orman-randy-smith)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges: N. Randy Smith](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392521)\n2. [Ninth Circuit Announces Senior Status of Judge N. Randy Smith](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2017/12/14/WEB_Smith_Senior_Status.pdf)\n3. [Senate Roll Call Vote, 110th Congress, RS1100049](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1100049)\n4. [Judge N. Randy Smith: Opinions and Panel Service](https://benchlight.org/judges/n-orman-randy-smith)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States courts of appeals judges › Surnames O to S*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/n-randy-smith", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/n-randy-smith.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"N. Randy Smith\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/n-randy-smith. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[N. Randy Smith](https://www.edgepedia.org/n-randy-smith)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/n-randy-smith](https://www.edgepedia.org/n-randy-smith). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"N. Randy Smith\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/n-randy-smith. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "N. Randy Smith, born Norman Randy Smith in 1949, is an American jurist serving as a senior judge of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals." }