Judge Mark Smith

  • Position: Judge of the Superior Court of Kern County (assumed office January 2, 2023; term expires January 8, 2029).
  • Education: B.A. in Economics and Government, Claremont McKenna College (magna cum laude); J.D., UCLA School of Law (1992).
  • Legal Experience: ~30 years of civil litigation experience. Served as an associate at Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal (Los Angeles), later as a partner at Clifford & Brown, P.C. (Bakersfield), and as a co-founding partner of Zimmer & Melton, LLP.
  • Bar Association Service: Kern County Bar Association Board of Directors (2015–2022); Vice President (2022).
  • Judicial Service: Elected in June 2022 (nonpartisan primary election) and sworn in January 2023 to fill the seat of retiring Judge David Lampe. Initially handled felony criminal cases; reassigned in March 2023 to Dept. T-2 (Metropolitan Traffic Division) for unlimited civil and writ cases.
  • Reputation: Regarded by colleagues as knowledgeable, fair, and courteous; praised as bright, honorable, patient and respectful. No public ethics complaints or disciplinary issues reported.

Early Life and Education

Mark Smith was born and raised in Bakersfield, California. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Government from Claremont McKenna College, graduating magna cum laude. At Claremont McKenna he wrote an award-winning senior thesis on the U.S. Supreme Court confirmation process. Smith then earned his Juris Doctor from the UCLA School of Law in 1992, during which time he clerked for a private law office in Bakersfield.

Legal Career

After law school, Smith joined the national law firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal in Los Angeles and spent about seven years there as a civil litigator. In 2000 he returned to his hometown to join the Bakersfield firm Clifford & Brown, P.C., where he became a partner and shareholder. In 2019 he helped found the Bakersfield firm Zimmer & Melton, LLP and served as an equity partner until his election to the bench in 2022. Over his roughly 30-year career, Smith handled a diverse range of civil cases involving agriculture, oil and gas, personal injury, real estate, construction, healthcare, and labor and employment law. He also served on the Kern County Bar Association board from 2015 through 2022 (as Vice President in 2022).

Judicial Career

Smith was elected to the Kern County Superior Court in the June 2022 nonpartisan judicial election and took office on January 2, 2023, replacing the retiring Judge David Lampe. Early in his tenure he sat on the Metropolitan Division’s felony criminal calendar. Effective March 2023, he was reassigned to Department T-2 in the Bakersfield Metropolitan (Traffic) Division. In Dept. T-2 he presides over unlimited civil cases and civil writ petitions. As of 2025, Judge Smith has served just over two years on the bench; his current term expires January 8, 2029.

Notable Cases and Rulings

As of 2025, no widely publicized or landmark cases have emerged from Judge Smith’s courtroom. His docket has included routine civil and criminal matters consistent with his assignments. There are no reports of any controversial or unusually prominent rulings by him in the media or legal press.

Reputation and Ethics

Smith is well-regarded in the Kern County legal community for his integrity and competence. At his 2023 installation ceremony, colleagues praised his legal acumen, humility, and fairness. One longtime judge called him “bright, honorable, humble, and kind,” while another noted his patience, understanding, and courtesy developed over decades of practice. His years of service on the local bar association and broad litigation background have made him a respected figure. There are no public records of any ethics complaints or disciplinary actions involving Judge Smith.