Constantine Joseph Smyth (December 4, 1859 – April 14, 1924) was Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia.

Education and career

Born on December 4, 1859, in

County Cavan County Cavan ( ; gle, Contae an Chabháin) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Border Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is base ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, Smyth

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

in 1885. He entered private practice in

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

from 1885 to 1913. He was a member of the Nebraska House of Representatives in 1887. He was a member of the Omaha School Board from 1889 to 1894. He was Chairman of the Nebraska State Democratic Committee from 1894 to 1896. He was

Attorney General of Nebraska The Nebraska Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer and lawyer for the U.S. state of Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the e ...

from 1897 to 1900. He was an associate dean and professor at

Creighton University School of Law Creighton University School of Law, located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, is a component of the Jesuit Creighton University. According to Creighton's official 2019 ABA-required disclosures, 75% of the Class of 2019 obtained full-time, long-t ...

from 1905 to 1910. He received an

Artium Magister A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degree in 1907 from Creighton University. He was a special assistant to the

Attorney General of the United States The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

from 1913 to 1917.

Federal judicial service

Smyth was nominated by President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

on June 29, 1917, to the Chief Justice seat on the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia (now the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit) vacated by Chief Justice Seth Shepard. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on July 12, 1917, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on April 14, 1924, due to his death.

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Smyth, Constantine Joseph 1859 births 1924 deaths 19th-century Irish people Politicians from County Cavan Irish emigrants to the United States Creighton University faculty United States court of appeals judges appointed by Woodrow Wilson Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit 20th-century American judges Nebraska Attorneys General Members of the Nebraska House of Representatives School board members in Nebraska United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law