JAMS, the largest private provider of mediation and arbitration services worldwide, today announced the addition of Hon. J.D. Smith (Ret.) to its panel. Judge Smith will be based in the JAMS Atlanta Resolution Center. He will serve as an arbitrator, mediator and special master for disputes in a variety of areas including Administrative Law, Appellate, Employment, Insurance, Personal Injury/Torts, Professional Liability and Real Property.

Judge Smith served in the Georgia Judiciary for 27 years and presided over a wide variety of civil cases during his time on the Court of Appeals and Superior Courts of the Northeastern Judicial District.

For the past 11 years, he has been a Presiding Judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals and was Chief Judge of the Court from 2003 through 2004. While serving on the Court of Appeals for 18 years, Judge Smith authored nearly 2,000 published opinions, as well as hundreds of unpublished decisions.

“Judge Smith’s deep and broad experience while serving on the Georgia bench makes him a tremendous addition to our Atlanta panel,” said Chris Poole, JAMS president and CEO. “Additionally, his commitment to justice and swift resolution make him uniquely qualified to serve our clients.”

“I’ve been honored to serve the Georgia community for so many years and this is a natural next step in my professional career,” said Judge Smith. “JAMS is the premiere ADR provider in the country and I look forward to joining such a distinguished panel.”

Judge Smith graduated with his B.A. from University of Florida and received his J.D. from The University of Georgia School of Law. He also earned an LL.M. in Judicial Process from University of Virginia School of Law and has an LL.M in Taxation from Emory University School of Law.

About JAMS, The Resolution Experts
Founded in 1979, JAMS, The Resolution Experts is the largest private provider of mediation and arbitration services worldwide. With Resolution Centers nationwide and abroad, JAMS and its more than 280 exclusive neutrals are responsible for resolving thousands of the world’s important cases. JAMS may be reached at 800-352-5267 or www.jamsadr.com.