Judy Smith

Crisis manager and attorney Judy A. Smith is the inspiration behind the iconic character Olivia Pope on ABC TV’s hit show, “Scandal.”

Ms. Smith serves as Co- Executive Producer of the series, which revolves around the life of a professional “fixer” in Washington, D.C.  She provides insight and technical expertise on crisis management issues.

Ms. Smith is the founder and President of Smith & Company, a leading strategic advisory firm with offices in Washington D.C., Los Angeles and New York.  Over the last 25 years, Ms. Smith has brought her unique combination of communication skills, media savvy, legal and political acumen to clients facing a wide array of issues and challenges throughout the United States and abroad.

After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations from Boston University, she graduated from the American University Washington College of Law where she was the first African-American woman to serve as Executive Editor of the Law Review.

Ms. Smith is the author of the book, Good Self, Bad Self, published by Free Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.