Laronda D. Kelley-Smith, Esq.
Laronda D. Kelley-Smith, Esq., is the owner and managing attorney of the Law Office of Laronda Kelley-Smith, LLC, based in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Licensed to practice law in North Carolina, South Carolina, Minnesota, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, she specializes in criminal law, consumer debt defense, education law, and family law. With over 20 years of experience in the criminal justice and human services fields, Laronda brings a wealth of expertise to her practice, regularly representing clients in court, negotiating with opposing counsel, and handling complex legal matters with precision and integrity.
Her journey to the law was shaped by early inspiration from the O.J. Simpson trial and a lifelong dedication to serving others. Despite personal challenges—including raising a family while attending law school and persevering through multiple attempts at passing the bar—Laronda’s unwavering faith and determination guided her to become a licensed attorney in 2020. Prior to opening her full-time private practice in 2024, she gained extensive experience working as a drug court coordinator, CPS investigator, probation/parole officer, and Social Security disability attorney, all of which inform her empathetic, client-focused approach.
Laronda is deeply committed to mentoring and advocacy, guided by her faith and a mission to help others navigate legal challenges. She has been mentored by distinguished judges, including Lawrence Fine and Theresa Holms Simms, and is an active member of the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association and the alumni board of Bluefield State College. Known for her integrity, transparency, and accountability, Laronda continues to expand her legal impact, including pursuing additional licensing in West Virginia, while upholding her promise to glorify God through her professional work and service to her clients.
• Charlotte School of Law — J.D.
• South Carolina Women Lawyers Association
• Bluefield State College Alumni Board
• Pro bono legal work
• Helping the homeless
• Supporting domestic violence and substance abuse survivors
• Donating to shelters
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my faith in God. I don't think I would be anywhere closely relatable to anything that I'm doing without my faith in Him, because I literally had to walk and step out on faith. When I was in law school, I had so many insecurities after being a victim in an abusive relationship and becoming a survivor. I really felt like my dreams were shredded and gone away, and I thought I couldn't do it. But I didn't know that God was purposely putting me in positions throughout my whole career to get me prepared for where I'm at right now. I didn't understand that at that age, but I started to realize it after I had gone through so much. God told me when to take a break from the bar exam because I was literally worshiping it and not paying attention to anything else around me. When He spoke to me in 2020 and said it was time to take it again, I did, and I passed it. I asked God that if He gave me this blessing of becoming an attorney and passing the bar, I would glorify His name by helping His people, and that's literally what I do.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was to keep pushing forward and don't ever let anybody tell you that you can't do something. That stuck with me. I was a non-traditional student in law school, so I was a lot older and had a family already, and I just felt kind of sometimes out of place. After being in an abusive relationship and becoming a survivor, I still had a lot of insecurities and really thought that my dreams were shredded and gone away. I really felt like I couldn't do it. When I got that information from someone who became a mentor, she didn't even know my story, but a professor, a male professor, just sat me down when I was really sick my first year of law school because I was pregnant. I was like, I don't know if this is where I need to be, and he was like, don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't do something and keep pushing, if this is what you want. I hone on that because that's something my dad used to tell me all the time. I tell anybody that I mentor or come in contact with that says they can't do something - don't ever let nobody tell you that you can't do it, and when I say anybody, that means you as well. Don't tell yourself you can't do it, because you can do whatever you put your mind to do.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The same advice that was told to me - keep pushing and never let anybody tell you that you can't do it. Being a woman sometimes in this industry, we're kind of looked at as pushovers, I feel like sometimes, but you just kind of got to stand firm no matter what. It doesn't matter what color or nationality - being a woman sometimes, they try to intimidate you and they want you to show some type of vulnerability, but sometimes vulnerability to them is weakness. I just gotta stay firm. I tell a lot of my mentees that - just stand firm, mean what you say, do what you say you're gonna do, period. And be honest. If you have that and you do that, you're gonna get far. The situation might not always be favorable, it might not always be what you want, but if you work at anything that you're gonna get, it's gonna work out.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think being a woman sometimes in this industry, we're kind of looked at as pushovers, I feel like sometimes. But you just kind of got to stand firm no matter what. It doesn't matter what color or nationality - being a woman sometimes, they try to intimidate you and they want you to show some type of vulnerability, but sometimes vulnerability to them is weakness. I just gotta stay firm. I tell a lot of my mentees that - just stand firm, mean what you say, but do what you say you're gonna do, period. And be honest. If you have that and you do that, you're gonna get far. The situation might not always be favorable, it might not always be what you want, but if you work at anything that you're gonna get, it's gonna work out.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty and integrity are most important to me. I'm very transparent and I try to hold high integrity, because I feel like that's the way that you're going to get respect - by being honest and having high integrity. I'm also very reliable and dependable. I want my clients to know, not even my clients, but my staff, opposing parties, the courts - I want them to know that I'm dependable, that if I say I'm going to do something or if I need something done, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna say I'm a woman of my word. Those are my biggest values. It's something I teach at home - being accountable. Because I have the integrity and I'm honest, I'm very accountable for anything that I do. That's something that I always tell my kids - even if you do it wrong, it's okay, you take the consequences, you move forward, but just be accountable for what you do, because that's how you learn.