Walter Smith is the Executive Director of DC Appleseed. He was a partner for 16 years with the city’s largest firm, Hogan Lovells (previously Hogan & Hartson). The last four of those years he served as the full-time director of the firm’s nationally-recognized pro bono department. Walter’s practice was primarily devoted to litigation, much of it concerning public policy issues. He has argued several cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Walter left Hogan in 1997 to become the Deputy Corporation Counsel for the District of Columbia. Walter’s primary activities at the Office of the Corporation Counsel concerned addressing the many receiverships in the District, supervising litigation affecting the school system, setting up pro bono assistance for the District from private law firms, and bringing a suit seeking voting representation for the District in Congress.