John Lawrence Smith (September 20, 1816 – March 17, 1889) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge from New York.
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Early life and education
Smith was born on September 20, 1816, in Nissequogue, New York, the son of Richard Smith and Eliza Willett Nicoll. His maternal great-grandfather was General Nathaniel Woodhull, and his maternal great-grandmother was the sister of Declaration of Independence signer William Floyd.
Smith attended the Clinton Academy in East Hampton. He then went to Yale College, where his classmates included Samuel J. Tilden, William M. Evarts, Edwards Pierrepont, Morrison Waite, William W. Eaton, and Benjamin D. Silliman. In 1833, he transferred to Princeton College, graduating in 1837. He then studied law in the office of John L. Lawrence in New York City. He was admitted to the bar in 1840 and initially practiced law in New York City. In 1844, he moved to Smithtown.
Political career
In 1846, Smith was elected to the New York State Assembly as one of the two representatives of Suffolk County. He served in the Assembly in 1847. He was the Democratic candidate for Speaker that year but lost to Whig William C. Hasbrouck. In 1856, he was elected district attorney of Suffolk County. In 1858, he became county judge. In 1862, he was re-elected county judge and surrogate as a Democrat even while the county went Republican. After his term as judge expired, he returned to his law practice. In the last few years of his life, he was mostly retired from law.