our ATTORNEYS
Together, we have journeyed through significant childhood traumas from homelessness to poverty. Despite the odds, we emerged as the first lawyers in our family, ascended to the pinnacles of law and spent years honing our talents representing multibillion dollar corporations.
Our personal story is integral to how we approach the law.
Today, we have merged the power of our testimony with our combined years of legal training to extend our practice far beyond legal expertise.
We understand that many of our clients, unfortunately, are seeing us in their most vulnerable states. We understand our clients because we are our clients. More than just a law firm, Scott-Johnson & Smith is deeply rooted in faith, empathy, compassion, and love.
At every stage of representation, we fight for our clients with those values at the core of all we do.
Latiera Scott-Johnson is a Visionary and Chain Breaker committed to using her life's testimony to fight for justice, lead and inspire others. Before co-founding Scott-Johnson & Smith LLP, Latiera spent over 4 years as a commercial litigator in Chicago, Illinois at an international law firm. There she represented several multibillion dollar corporations in high-stakes litigation. Latiera used her position at a major law firm to help those most in need. While at her first law firm, Latiera dedicated her entire pro bono practice to the people, advocating for clients in the areas of housing discrimination, prisoners’ rights, unlawful arrest, post-conviction relief, and relief under the Illinois’ Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission Act. Latiera’s experience spans both federal and state courts. Most notably in 2019, in just her first year of practice, Latiera was part of a team of attorneys who convinced prosecutors not to oppose our client’s efforts to have his wrongful murder conviction vacated leading to his release after spending almost 30 years in prison. Outside of the law, Latiera is a follower of Christ, wife, the Founder of Living Beyond Our Dreams (“LBOD”) Foundation, Inc., and author of the Living Beyond Our Dreams (“LBOD”) Blog. As a Nonprofit Founder and Writer, Latiera shares her testimony from being a child raised by a single mother who overcame substance addiction, to her journey of making it to and leaving behind the coveted career of a "Big Law" attorney to follow her passion to serve and make a positive impact in underserved communities of color.
Latiera Scott-Johnson
// ILLINOIS-BASED ATTORNEY
EDUCATION
• DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, IL
Juris Doctor, cum laude, May 2018
• University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Bachelor of Arts in Economics, May 2015
BAR ADMISSIONS
• Illinois
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Shakia Smith is a leader and change agent committed to using her voice and platform to uplift her community. Shakia’s passion for justice was ignited at an early age and led her to Howard University where her journey to the legal profession began. As an undergraduate student at Howard, Shakia studied Administration of Justice allowing her the opportunity to experience first hand the injustices that can occur within the legal system as a result of lack of knowledge and proper representation. From Howard, Shakia went on to earn her law degree from Marquette University Law School. Shakia’s law school journey was atypical as she navigated a world-wide pandemic and became a new mother all at once while being a full-time law student – an experience that further ingrained the grit and resilience that her practice requires today. Shakia went on to serve as a staff attorney at Wisconsin’s largest non-profit law firm, Legal Action Wisconsin, providing free civil legal services to Wisconsin clients at the most vulnerable times in their lives. In her position, Shakia had the opportunity to work within the Community Law Project that emphasized the importance of educating the community about their legal rights and relief available. After leaving Legal Action Wisconsin, Shakia represented major corporations in employment and premise liability matters at a mid-sized employment law firm in Wisconsin. Outside of her legal career, Shakia has over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit field within various organizations throughout the Milwaukee area. When she is not working, Shakia is a wife and mother to her amazing daughter, Kinsley and also enjoys creative expression through her custom design business, The K-Shop Collection, started during the Covid pandemic.
Shakia Smith
// WISCONSIN-BASED ATTORNEY
EDUCATION
• Marquette University College of Law, Milwaukee, WI
Juris Doctor, May 2021
• Howard University, Washington, D.C.
Bachelor of Arts in Administration of Justice, May 2016
BAR ADMISSIONS
• Wisconsin
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin