Agent Orange Lawyer

Dr. Smoger attended an innovative multi-disciplinary undergraduate program, studying at American University, Drew University, Graz University in Austria, and Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, Israel before he earned his Bachelor's Degree from Lycoming College (Summa Cum Laude). He then
undertook graduate studies at Stanford University and  the  University of Pennsylvania,  where he passed his orals with distinction at the age of 21 and subsequently was awarded his Ph.D. He received his Juris Doctor's Degree from the University of California - Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law.

Dr. Smoger has represented a wide range of clients in personal injury litigation with a special interest in birth and early childhood injuries, injuries related to the brain and neurological system, and injuries caused by errant pharmaceuticals or environmental exposure.

He has served as counsel for the Agent Orange Coordinating Council (AOCC), Children Afflicted by Toxic Substances (CATS), the Environmental Research Foundation (ERF), and the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers' International Union (OCAW).

He has served as a lead counsel in a number of significant cases, such as the representation of the people of Times Beach, groundwater contamination by Teledyne, Fairchild, and IBM, chlorine gas exposure in Alberton, Montana, childhood lead contamination in Herculaneum, Mo. and consumer class actions ranging from the fraud of "light" cigarettes to the option arm mortgage loans that almost brought down our financial system.  He successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court the right of Vietnam veterans to bring suit for Agent Orange exposure, although the case was later dismissed for other reasons.  He has also represented a wide range of amici before the U.S. Supreme Court, including such diverse groups as the editors of the New England Journal of Medicine, the AMA, the Center for Auto Safety, and the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. 

He has written or co-authored both legal and scientific articles and has been a frequent lecturer for national and international legal, scientific and medical conferences, speaking on such diverse topics as class actions, closed-head injuries, cognitive dysfunction, how best to use expert witnesses, the art of cross examination, Federal and state law regarding the use of expert witnesses, exposure to lead, damage from MTBE, and personal injuries related to the use of various pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Smoger currently serves on the boards of Public Justice (as a past President) and Physicians for Human Rights, as a trustee of the Pound Civil Justice Institute, and as Chair of Legal Affairs for the American Association for Justice (“AAJ”).   Previously, he served on the Board of Governors of AAJ (1996 - 2006) and as a Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association's Toxic Torts, Hazardous Substances and Environmental Law committee (1993-2001).  He also is a co-sponsor of a national law school competition (the “Hogan/Smoger Access to Justice Essay Contest”).   In 2004 Dr. Smoger was named by Public Justice as a finalist for their Trial Lawyer of the Year award.  He has  been acknowledged every year as a "SuperLawyer" since that program began.  Dr. Smoger is a member of the California, Texas and U.S. Supreme Court Bars.