Janyl Smith is an estate planning attorney and private wealth advisor. Mrs. Smith focuses her practice on estate planning, including wills, trusts, child protection planning, incapacity planning, and planning for special needs individuals. Her advanced tax specialization and understanding of complex issues related to wealth transfer tax, tax planning for non-U.S. residents, tax planning for high net worth individuals, and other advanced planning areas, serves her clients well in their legacy planning endeavors. Mrs. Smith has 15 years' experience in the financial services industry, giving her an invaluable knowledge base with regard to the various types of assets that are typically at the center of clients' estate plans. This unique combination of skill sets and professional experience allows Mrs. Smith to provide clients with the type of cohesion between their current wealth and future legacy that is typically missing in the planning process.
While in law school, Mrs. Smith worked as a judicial intern for the Honorable Marcia G. Cooke of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Mrs. Smith proudly served as the Editor-in-Chief of the University of Miami Race and Social Justice Law Review. She also served as a Student Ambassador and was a member of the Tax Law Society. Mrs. Smith was selected to receive a HOPE Fellowship, through which she was immersed in public interest law. Mrs. Smith was an active member of the Black Law Students Association, and served as Academic Chair. Throughout law school, Mrs. Smith participated in many panel discussions in various capacities including organizer, panelist, and moderator. Mrs. Smith still enjoys mentoring and community engagement.
Mrs. Smith resides in South Florida with her husband, Marvin, who is an orthopedic surgeon with the Memorial Healthcare System Division of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine. The Smiths are proud parents to a daughter and a son. In her free time, Mrs. Smith likes to be active and outdoors with her family. They particularly enjoy attending NFL and University of Miami football games, tennis, golfing, beach days, and skiing.
Education
- University of Miami School of Law, J.D.
- University of Miami School of Law, LL.M. in Taxation
- South University, B.Sc., Legal Studies
Bar Admissions
Memberships
- Real Property, Probate & Trust Section of The Florida Bar
- Tax Section of The Florida Bar
- Young Lawyers Section of The Florida Bar
- Broward County Bar Association
- T.J. Reddick Bar Association
Honors and Awards
- Iron Arrow Honor Society, the Highest Honor Attained at the University of Miami
- Society of Bar & Gavel, the Highest Honor Attained at the University of Miami School of Law
- 2021 South University Alumni Achievement Award, Honorable Mention
Speaking Engagements
- "Getting Your House In Order" Estate Planning Panel, T.J. Reddick Bar Association, November 14, 2020
- "Getting Your House In Order" Estate Planning Panel, T.J. Reddick Bar Association, December 11, 2021
- "Getting Your House In Order" Estate Planning Panel, T.J. Reddick Bar Association, November 12, 2022
