Devin Hartness Smith
Associate General Counsel
As Associate General Counsel, Ms. Smith provides advice to the following units and colleges:
- College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
- College of Family & Consumer Sciences
- College of Veterinary Medicine
- Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources
- Tifton, Griffin, & Gwinnett Campuses
- Insurance & Claims Management, Environmental Safety Division, and Facilities Management Division (divisions of Finance & Administration)
Additionally, Ms. Smith has responsibility for the following areas:
- Tort Claims
- Subpoenas & Discovery Requests
- Insurance
- Environmental Matters
- Open Records/Open Meetings
Before joining the Office of Legal Affairs, Devin was a civil and criminal litigator for fifteen years at Cook & Tolley, LLP. In that time, she represented the University as a Special Assistant Attorney General in several high-profile lawsuits and represented the University of Georgia Athletic Association in other litigation. Devin was named a 2014 Rising Star by the Daily Report and a 2021 Rising Star on Georgia’s Super Lawyers list. She is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Georgia.
Devin earned her bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in journalism from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia and her juris doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law.
