School OF LAW HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT AND COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
Mary L. Smith
JD, (BS '84) • Immediate Past President, American Bar Association; Former Chief Executive Officer, Indian Health Service
Mary L. Smith, JD (BS '84) is a prominent attorney, business executive, and trailblazing leader who served as President of the American Bar Association (ABA) from 2023–2024, becoming the first Native American woman to hold the role. She currently serves on the boards of PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTCT) and HAI Group and is Vice Chair of the VENG Group. Previously, she served as Chief Executive Officer of the Indian Health Service, where she managed a $6 billion healthcare system serving 2.2 million Native Americans and Alaska Natives across the United States.
Smith has held senior positions in the United States Department of Justice, the Illinois Department of Insurance, and the White House, where she contributed to policy development and legal strategy at the national level. She also has extensive corporate legal experience, having served in an executive leadership role at a Fortune 200 company and directed legal teams managing multimillion-dollar operations. Smith began her legal career clerking for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Beyond her corporate and governmental leadership, Smith is a longtime advocate for diversity in the legal profession, mentoring emerging professionals and leading initiatives to expand opportunities for underrepresented groups. She served as an ABA representative to the United Nations and is the founder of the Caroline and Ora Smith Foundation, which supports Native American girls pursuing STEM careers. She has also been actively involved in civic engagement and educational advocacy throughout her career.
Smith has received numerous accolades, including recognition in Worth Groundbreaking Women (2025), Forbes' 50 Over 50 list (2024), Crain’s Chicago Business Notable Women in Law, and the ABA Spirit of Excellence Award.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science from Loyola University Chicago, magna cum laude, and her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Chicago Law School.
