Although 2021 had a tumultuous start, it is shaping up to be a great year for diversity in politics, both nationally and locally. 

Tiffany Thomas-Smith of Lower Makefield, PA has announced her candidacy for judge on the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, making her the first Black woman to do so.

Thomas-Smith, a life-long Democrat, will be seeking the party’s nomination in the primary election on May 18. The general election this year will take place on Nov. 2. 

Her firm focuses on family law, and takes on cases that involve divorce, support, custody, equitable distribution and protection from abuse in Bucks, Philadelphia and Montgomery counties.

Thomas-Smith received a B.A in History from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina and her Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C. 

She is the chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the Bar, and serves as the solicitor of the Bucks County Democratic Committee. 

Additionally, she serves as the President of the Bucks County Collaborative Law Group (BCCLG) and is trained in mediation and Parenting Coordination Process through the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and Pennsylvania Psychological Association. 

She is an avid supporter of several charitable organizations, including the Healing Consciousness Foundation, which supports survivors of breast cancer, and WISER School, which empowers young girls in Kenya to transcend poverty, violence and HIV/AIDS. 

Thomas-Smith takes seriously the idea of “compassionate justice.” 

Not only is she a current supporter of these two organizations, but she has taken the extra steps to become actively involved with them. 

She was a former member of the Board of Directors for the Healing Consciousness Foundation, and in March 2019, she traveled all the way to Muhuru Bay, Kenya to work with girls and women at the WISER School. 

If elected, Thomas-Smith vows that she will be a judge “for our community.” 

She feels that her professional background as a family lawyer and public defender, as well as her personal experiences, will provide her with “unique insights” when deciding cases. 

If elected, Thomas-Smith plans to lead with high ethical standards and work to expand alternative dispute resolution models, so that the court can address the ripple effect of backlog brought on by the COVID-19 shutdowns.