Patricia E. Campbell-Smith

Patricia Elaine Campbell-Smith (born 1966) is a former Chief Special Master of the United States Court of Federal Claims and is currently a Judge on that court, concurrently serving as Chief Judge as of her designation as such on October 21, 2013 by President Barack Obama.

Biography

Campbell-Smith was born in 1966 in Baltimore, Maryland. She received a Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude, in 1987, from Duke University. She received a Juris Doctor, cum laude, in 1992, from Tulane Law School. She served as a law clerk for Judge Martin Leach-Cross Feldman of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana from 1992 to 1993. She served as a law clerk for Judge Sarah S. Vance of the same court from 1996 to 1997. From 1993 to 1996 and 1997 to 1998 she worked at the law firm of Liskow & Lewis in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she focused on environmental regulatory law, patent infringement litigation and toxic tort litigation. From 1998 to 2005 she served as a career law clerk for Judge Emily C. Hewitt of the United States Court of Federal Claims. She became a Special Master of the United States Court of Federal Claims in 2005 and Chief Special Master in 2011, serving in that role until her elevation to Judge of the court on September 19, 2013. In this role, she presided over litigation pursuant to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.^[1][2]

Claims Court service

On March 19, 2013, President Obama nominated Campbell-Smith to serve as a Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims, to the seat vacated by Judge Lawrence M. Baskir, who retired April 1, 2013.^[3] The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on her nomination on May 8, 2013, and reported her nomination to the floor by voice vote on June 6, 2013.^[4] The Senate confirmed her nomination by voice vote on September 17, 2013.^[5] She received her commission on September 19, 2013 and took the oath of office the same day.^[6] Her commission will expire on September 18, 2028, and her term will end that day, unless she is reappointed. On October 21, 2013 President Barack Obama designated Campbell-Smith to serve as Chief Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims.^[7]

Notable Cases

Following the shutdown of the federal government in 2013, Campbell-Smith ruled that the federal government violated federal labor law and may owe damages to employees affected by the shutdown. If employees seek damages, the ruling could raise the cost of the shutdown significantly. ^[8]

References