Emma Smith
Attorney
Emma Smith focuses her practice on bankruptcy and commercial litigation. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, where she served as Managing Editor of the Arizona State Law Journal. While in law school, she externed with the United States District Court for the District of Arizona and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. She also helped revitalize the Business Legal Assistance Program, a pro bono initiative supporting small businesses in the Valley, which sparked her interest in insolvency issues and the legal strategies businesses use to navigate financial distress.
A former Division I pole vaulter, Emma earned her undergraduate degree in bioethics from Illinois State University, where she developed the discipline, focus, and analytical mindset she now brings to complex legal challenges.
Education
- Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University, JD, cum laude, 2025
- Willard H. Pedrick Scholar
- CALI Excellence for the Future Award – Legal Advocacy (2023) and Advanced Chapter 11 Bankruptcy (2025)
- Arizona State Law Journal, Managing Editor (2024-2025), Staff Writer (2023-2024)
- Teaching Assistant to Professor Susan Chesler and Professor Rachel Stabler
- Research Assistant to Professor Susan Chesler and Professor Betsy Grey.
- Illinois State University, B.S. (Bioethics), summa cum laude, 2021
Bar Admissions
Clerkships/ Externships
- United States District Court for the District of Arizona, Legal Extern to the Honorable John J. Tuchi
- Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Civil Rights Division
- Center for Public Health Law and Policy, Legal Researcher
Practice Areas
When you enlist the services of May Potenza Baran & Gillespie, you get an experienced, diverse team of advocates in your corner who work collaboratively, move quickly, and think differently.