Diversity & Inclusion: Cullin J. Smith

Cullin Smith’s parents aren’t lawyers, but his blue-collar family instilled in him a belief that everyone deserves respect and, when they need it, help.

To Smith, the law offered a platform to pursue those values, and that’s what he does at the Neighborhood Justice Center.

The St. Paul-based nonprofit offers criminal defense services to indigent clients, focusing on people of color. It represents about 500 clients a year on charges ranging from misdemeanors to the highest felonies.

Smith has been the center’s executive director and chief counsel since 2013 after six years as a staff attorney.

In addition to his executive responsibilities, Smith has a caseload of clients.

“There’s not a week that goes by that I don’t have an epiphany about how lucky I am to help other people because my clients are fantastically fascinating, complicated people,” Smith said.

Ann Anaya, 3M’s Chief Diversity Officer and a board member at the Neighborhood Justice Center, praised Smith’s “selfless dedication to the community and equal justice.”

“He’s a kind, talented and committed, brilliant lawyer,” Anaya, a former public defender, county prosecutor and assistant U.S. attorney, said of Smith.

“The fact that he has dedicated himself and his career to the community and to those in the community who do not have the means to hire private counsel deserves recognition,” Anaya said. “Smith’s passion for helping people and delivering on the promise of justice for all, inspires us to be better lawyers and better community partners.”