By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

HOOVER – Shelby County and Birmingham attorney J. Timothy Smith has announced his candidacy to replace retiring Judge Dan Reeves in Alabama’s 18^th Judicial Circuit.

“Having practiced law for 30 years in Shelby County and Birmingham, I am positive that I have the knowledge, experience and temperament to serve the citizens of Shelby County as a Circuit Court Judge,” Smith wrote in a statement.

Over the years, Smith has been named the Alabama State Bar Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, Birmingham Bar Association Young Lawyer of the Year, President of the Alabama State Bar Family Law Section and recipient of the Burton L. Barnes, III Award for Public Service. Smith is the founder of SafeHouse of Shelby County, serving as its chairman of the board in its infancy and as a current member of its board of directors. He has served on the boards of the Alabama Center for Law and Civic Education and Alabama’s Third Citizen’s Conference and is a past President of the Alabaster Chamber of Commerce.

Smith joins local attorneys Lara Alvis and Patrick Kennedy in vying to replace Reeves. Reeves recently announced he will not seek another term in Alabama’s 18th Judicial Circuit, citing family reasons and an ever-changing Shelby County court environment as reasons for his decision.

“I consider my work with SafeHouse of Shelby County to be my most significant contribution during my legal career,” Smith wrote. “It was questionable in the beginning if SafeHouse would make it, but it thankfully did and I have been truly blessed to know a lot of the positive outcomes for abused women and their children that SafeHouse has provided. It was definitely worth the effort.”

Smith graduated from the Birmingham School of Law, the National Institute for Trial Advocacy and the Southern Trust School. He and his wife Julie live in Hoover and are members of Shades Mountain Baptist Church. Their daughter and son-in-law, Caroline and Trey Cartledge, live in Homewood.