Mary E. Adkins - Chesterfield Smith, Americas Lawyer

Chesterfield Smith, Americas Lawyer

UNIVERSITY PRESS OF FLORIDA

Florida A&M University, Tallahassee

Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton

Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers

Florida International University, Miami

Florida State University, Tallahassee

New College of Florida, Sarasota

University of Central Florida, Orlando

University of Florida, Gainesville

University of North Florida, Jacksonville

University of South Florida, Tampa

University of West Florida, Pensacola

Mary E. Adkins

Copyright 2020 by Mary E. Adkins

All rights reserved

Published in the United States of America

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A record of cataloging-in-publication data is available from the Library of Congress.

ISBN 978-0-8130-6666-0

The University Press of Florida is the scholarly publishing agency for the State University System of Florida, comprising Florida A&M University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, Florida State University, New College of Florida, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of North Florida, University of South Florida, and University of West Florida.

University Press of Florida

2046 NE Waldo Road

Suite 2100

Gainesville, FL 32609

http://upress.ufl.edu

For my parents, whose love has supported everything

. Chesterfield Harvey Smith as a baby

. Vivian Parker was an accomplished pianist

. Lieutenant Harvey Smith in the army in Kansas

. Harvey Smith and a fellow soldier

. Baby Rhoda Smith

. Smith was made a partner after only two years

. Smith and Chet, Chesterfield Smith Jr.

. The Smith home on Mariposa Avenue in Bartow

. The Smith family boated to The Shack

. Smith chaired the Constitution Revision Commission

. Smith and Vivian

. Holland & Knight threw a gala 80th birthday party

. Smith, Jackie, and Smiths family at his 80th birthday party

. Smith and Jackie, Smiths 80th birthday party

. Chesterfield Smith

I first started thinking about this book as I finished my first one. Making Modern Floridatold the story of how Florida matured from a rural state run by backward-facing legislators to a state with a progressive new constitution and a legislature reapportioned fairly for the first time in several decades. That new constitution was driven into being by a forceful, idealistic lawyer named Chesterfield Smith. When he led the Constitution Revision Commission in 1966, Smith had just finished his term as Florida Bar president and was about to merge his growing law firm with another to form the seed of the behemoth firm Holland & Knight. He would become American Bar president during the Watergate scandal and be among the first establishment voices to condemn President Nixons actions.