Judy Smith is the founder and president of Smith & Company, a Washington, D.C. crisis communications firm, and the real-life inspiration for Olivia Pope in ABC's Scandal. Her clients have included Monica Lewinsky, Michael Vick, Wesley Snipes and the family of Chandra Levy, alongside corporations such as Walmart and AIG.
Judy Smith at a Glance
| Firm | Smith & Company, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles |
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| Years active | More than 25 years in crisis management as of 2017, per William & Mary |
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| Notable clients | Monica Lewinsky, Michael Vick, Wesley Snipes, Larry Craig, the family of Chandra Levy, Paula Deen |
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| Signature campaign or crisis | Advising Monica Lewinsky through the fallout from her affair with President Bill Clinton |
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| Current status | Founder and president of Smith & Company; co-executive producer of Scandal |
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How did Judy Smith become a crisis manager?
Judy Smith became a crisis manager by combining journalism and communications training with a law degree. Boston University lists her degrees as 1978 and 1980, and American University's Washington College of Law lists her JD as 1986. Before founding her own company she worked for the special prosecutor on the Iran-Contra affair, according to American University's alumni news.
Smith told Washingtonian she realized she had a knack for handling scandal in fifth grade. She told American University students that her law degree has been incredibly helpful, because many clients face legal problems alongside image problems.
What was Judy Smith's signature crisis?
Judy Smith's signature crisis was the Monica Lewinsky scandal, in which she helped Lewinsky navigate the fallout from her affair with President Bill Clinton, according to Washingtonian. Boston University's alumni magazine reported that when a Scandal producer searched the internet for the low-profile Smith, the only photo that surfaced showed her pushing a camera out of her face in a Lewinsky media scrum.
The Washingtonian profile also lists Senator Larry Craig, the family of Chandra Levy, and quarterback Michael Vick among her clients. William & Mary's lecture announcement adds Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., actor Wesley Snipes and celebrity chef Paula Deen. It also lists crises she worked on, including the response to the SARS epidemic for the United Nations Foundation and the World Health Organization.
Who are Judy Smith's corporate clients?
Most of Smith's work is corporate, not celebrity. Fortune reported in 2014 that her clients have included Union Pacific, UnitedHealth, Walmart, Waste Management and AIG. Smith told a Roanoke College forum that about 95 percent of the clientele at Smith & Company is on the corporate side, which she described as lesser-known but equally mired in mess.
How did Judy Smith inspire Scandal?
Judy Smith inspired Scandal by working with creator Shonda Rhimes and producers Jerry Bruckheimer and John Wells for two years to shape the character of Olivia Pope, according to American University. The show premiered on ABC on April 5, 2012, with Kerry Washington as Pope, and Smith served as co-executive producer. She also wrote the book Good Self, Bad Self.
What is Judy Smith's crisis method?
Judy Smith's method, as she has described it in interviews, rests on four named moves.
- Go to the client. Boston University's alumni magazine reported that clients do not come to Smith, she goes to them wherever they are.
- Take the CEO away from the handlers. Smith told Fortune she locks the executive alone in a room and asks for the real account, not the one the handlers want to give.
- Own the error. She advised Fortune readers that if a company does not live up to its brand's promise, it should own up.
- Tell the truth. The Roanoke College forum summary describes Smith as a devout believer in truth-telling at the center of righting a wrong.
What is Judy Smith doing now?
Judy Smith remains the founder and president of Smith & Company. She also appears as a speaker on crisis management, including a podcast conversation in which she discussed how she decides which cases to take. EPR has not verified her current client list, which the firm does not publish.
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