--- title: "Edward George Smith | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/edward-george-smith-3005" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Edward George Smith U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania - State: Pennsylvania - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania, 2014-present - Edward George Smith (1961–2023) was a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2014 and confirmed by the Senate on March 26, 2014, serving until his death in November 2023 - Judge, Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County Pennsylvania, 2002-2014 - Was a partner at DeRaymond & Smith in Easton, PA (1990–2002) - Solicitor, Northampton County Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority, 1997-2001 - Special deputy attorney general, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1991-1999 - Assistant solicitor, Northampton County, PA, 1996-1998 - Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania - held the role of Assistant Force Judge Advocate in Norfolk, VA, and Senior Trial Defense Counsel in Philadelphia - A 27-year veteran of the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps, Smith reached the rank of Captain and held the role of Commanding Officer of the Naval Reserve Naval Justice School - His career combined military legal service, state-level judicial work, and federal judicial service, reflecting a strong background in both military law and civilian justice - He also completed training at the Naval Justice School and the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School ### Education - The Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University — J.D. (1986) - J.D., cum laude, in 1986 from Dickinson School of Law (now Penn State Dickinson Law) - Franklin & Marshall College — B.A. (1983) ### Additional information - U.S. Naval Reserve, JAG Corps, 1990-present - On August 1, 2013, President Obama nominated Smith to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, replacing Berle M. Schiller. - Private practice, Easton, PA, 1990-2001 - Solicitor, Upper Nazareth Township, PA, 1990-2001 - U.S. Navy, JAG Corps, 1984-1990 - Smith was born September 17, 1961, in Fort Knox, Kentucky, and attended Easton Area High School in Pennsylvania. - Date of birth: 1961-01-01 - His military service included roles as a military trial judge and appellate judge, and he earned the Bronze Star for valor in Iraq - Birth place: Fort Knox, KY ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### recording photography evidence presentation Scope: statewide For Pennsylvania Common Pleas proceedings, statewide Pa.R.J.A. 1910 prohibits courtroom broadcasting, recording, and photography unless an exception or judicial authorization applies; the rule also recognizes judge-authorized electronic or photographic means for evidence presentation. Evidence excerpt: the use of electronic or photographic means for the presentation of evidence [201 Pa. Code Chapter 19, Rule 1910, Broadcasting, Recording and Photography in the Courtroom](https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?d=&file=%2Fsecure%2Fpacode%2Fdata%2F201%2Fchapter19%2Fchap19toc.html) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3005/edward-george-smith/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3005/edward-george-smith/) - [U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3005/edward-george-smith/) - [201 Pa. Code Chapter 19, Rule 1910, Broadcasting, Recording and Photography in the Courtroom](https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?d=&file=%2Fsecure%2Fpacode%2Fdata%2F201%2Fchapter19%2Fchap19toc.html) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3005/edward-george-smith/) - [Edward G. Smith - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Edward_G._Smith) - [Wikidata: Edward George Smith](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16194338) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/edward-george-smith-3005", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/edward-george-smith-3005", "name": "Edward George Smith | KnowJudges", "description": "Edward George Smith, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 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Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.